NATO plans to increase troops amid Russian threat

NATO is set to ask its member states to increase their troop numbers by 50% in preparation for a potential Russian attack.

Currently, the 32-member alliance operates with 80 brigades, but that number is expected to rise to 120 or even 130, according to an anonymous source cited in a Reuters report.

The alliance will formally request Germany next week to contribute an additional seven brigades, which would amount to approximately 40,000 troops, three sources told the news agency.

In recent weeks, NATO has repeatedly warned of the growing threat posed by Russia, not just in Ukraine but also beyond, as Moscow has recently deployed significant forces near the Finnish border.

Defense ministers from each NATO member state are scheduled to meet in Brussels on June 5, ahead of a key NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, later that month.

Last summer, Reuters reported that NATO required 50 more brigades to effectively counter any potential Russian offensive.

Earlier this week, British Army chief Sir Roland Walker reiterated the alliance’s concerns, saying the Russian threat is “real.”

(QG - Source: Newsweek — Picture : © Unsplash)