In tandem to the new implementation to procure more arms and to secure more troops for NATO in response to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has revealed on Wednesday that the NATO allies would continue to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia for “as long and as intensively as it is necessary.”
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This announcement comes as German Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht had narrated that Berlin “would provide a division of 15,000 troops, with 65 planes and 20 ships, to NATO’s high-readiness force.”
While Speaking in Madrid on Wednesday, The German Chancellor, Scholz told reporters, “Russia has with its brutal war of aggression violated the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.
“It is only right that the states that are coming together here but [also] many others make their contributions so that Ukraine can defend itself with financial means, with humanitarian aid but also by providing weapons that Ukraine urgently needs.”
On Tuesday, Lambrecht had also revealed that Berlin would provide a division of 15,000 troops, with 65 planes and 20 ships, to NATO’s high-readiness force.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday that the alliance would scale up the number of troops at high alert to more than 300,000 from 2023.
In another report, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revealed that he would no longer uphold his opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO following crunch talks with the leaders of the two Nordic countries in Madrid.
Erdogan had deliberately refused to green-light the applications from the Nordic pair — lodged in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine — despite calls from his NATO allies to clear the path for them to enter.
Turkey could essentially veto Finland and Sweden from joining NATO since all members must agree to taking on new members.
However, in a surprise move early Wednesday morning, Erdogan’s office said it had agreed to back their drives to join, saying Ankara had “got what it wanted”.