Top Commander: NATO Began ‘Planning’ Expanded Presence Near Russia ‘Years Ago’

NATO began planning to increase its presence along its Eastern flank “years” before Russia kicked off its special military operation in Ukraine, NATO Military Committee chairman Rob Bauer revealed.

“Military leaders have a common frame of reference for both alliance-wide threats and regional threats, and that we enhance the speed and effectiveness of our rapid deployable forces. We’re talking about the biggest overhaul of our military structures since 1949. The planning for that started several years ago, but now we’re implementing it,” Bauer said, speaking to reporters at a press conference at the NATO Military Committee Conference in Tallinn, Estonia on Saturday, RIA Novosti reported.

NATO defense chiefs discussed the need to “sustain” and “increase” “allied support to Ukraine”, at Saturday’s meeting, Bauer continued.

“The ammunition, equipment and training that allies and other nations are delivering are all making a real difference on the battlefield. With its successes on the ground and online, Ukraine has fundamentally changed modern warfare,” the officer stated.

“NATO will support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he noted.