NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the Western military alliance will boost its high readiness forces to "well over 300,000" in response to Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid, Stoltenberg said on June 27 that the alliance will enhance its battle groups on its eastern flank up to brigade levels.
"We will strengthen our forward defenses.... We will transform the NATO Response Force and increase the number of our high readiness forces to well over 300,000," Stoltenberg told reporters.
The NATO Response Force currently has about 40,000 troops.
The Madrid summit, which runs from June 28 to 30, will also change NATO's language on Russia that says the alliance sees Moscow as a strategic partner. That language dates back to 2010.
"That will not be the case in the strategic concept that we will agree in Madrid," Stoltenberg said.
"I expect that allies will state clearly that Russia poses a direct threat to our security, to our values, to the rules-based international order."