NATO vows to defend its entire territory after Russia attacks

Brussels: NATO SecretaryGeneral Jens Stoltenberg warned Thursday that the military alliance would defend every inch of its territory should Russia attack a member country, as he slammed Moscow for launching a brutal act of war on Ukraine.

Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on its neighbor, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling. Ukraine’s government said Russian tanks and troops rolled across the border and accused Moscow of unleashing a “full-scale war.”

Speaking after chairing an emergency meeting of NATO envoys, Stoltenberg said the 30-nation security alliance will continue to beef up its defenses on its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia. He said U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts will hold an online summit on Friday. “Russia has attacked Ukraine. This is a brutal act of war. Our thoughts are with the brave people of Ukraine,” Stoltenberg told reporters.

“Peace in our continent has been shattered. We now have war in Europe, on a scale and of a type we thought belong to history.” “NATO is the strongest alliance in history, and make no mistake we will defend every ally against any attack on every inch of NATO territory,” he said at the organization’s Brussels headquarters.

“An attack on one ally will trigger a response from the whole alliance.” During the meeting, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia triggered urgent consultations under Article 4 of NATO’s founding Washington Treaty.

These are launched when “the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the (NATO) parties is threatened.” Stoltenberg said that NATO has decided to activate emergency planning to allow commanders to move forces more quickly. He spoke shortly after envoys to the trans-Atlantic alliance agreed to further beef up its land, sea and air forces on its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia.

“We have decided, in line with our defensive planning to protect all allies, to take additional steps to further strengthen deterrence and defense across the Alliance,” the ambassadors said in a statement. “Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory.” Lithuania declared a state of emergency in a decree signed by President Gitanas Nauseda in response to Russia’s attack. The Baltic country’s parliament was expected to approve the measure in an extraordinary session later Thursday. —AP