Today In Madrid, NATO's 30 Liters officially invited Finland and
Sweden to become members, and they released a new strategic vision
that call Russia the alliance's most significant threat.
Meanwhile, the US announced that it would deploy thousands of additional
troops to Europe, Nick Schifrin reports now from Madrid.
They arrived in Europe as Europe faces war, The leaders of the world's
largest military alliance today celebrated what they see as a coalition
renewed
states now otherwise, we're going to step up.
Stepping up
proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been meeting
with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. President Biden announced
new U S military deployments, including more F 35 to the UK
More ships to Spain. Additional air defenses to Germany and Italy
Brigade combat team of more than 3000 troops to Romania and Poland.
For the first time since the Cold War, the US will create a permanent
US base in Eastern Europe. The Army fifth Corps for it headquarters.
People scoff at having headquarters. But it's the headquarters which
allow you to bring in and add things, whether it's US or allies or
joint forces. Hodges is the former commander of U S. Army Europe.
I spoke to him from the summits Media Center. And why is the word
permanent so symbolically important?
Well that tells our allies that we're not leaving, and it also tells
the Russians that we're not leaving. US. Troops in Romania highlight
growing concern about Russian inroads in southeastern Europe, The
Black Sea region has been lacking attention for decades. All of the
frozen conflicts are in the Black Sea region from Georgia, too.
Transnistria. Russia has established sort of a new iron curtain between
NATO and non NATO countries. Romania is the center of gravity for
us in the Black Sea region. It is the place from which we can project
power.
Ah, and conduct operations best in the Black Sea. Today, leaders
have endorsed NATO's new strategic concept today also adopted a new
long term strategy. The last strategy in 2010 said. We want to see
a true strategic partnership between NATO and Russia. The new document
calls Russia the most significant and direct threat to allies. Security
And for the first time sites, China China Score ship Policies challenge
our interests, security and values.
I want to particularly thank you for what you did, putting together
the situation with regard to Finland and Sweden.
On the summit sidelines. President Biden praised Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan for lifting his objection to Finland and Sweden.
Joining NATO. The U. S says that deal had nothing to do with Turkey's
desire to purchase new American F 16 fighter jets.
But today, the administration for the first time publicly endorsed
Turkey's desire to modernize its jets despite congressional resistance.
If Russian President Vladimir Putin is feeling the heat from a reinvigorated
NATO, he chose today to rally his own friends, including Iran and
three Central Asian, former Soviet states, Russia and the West continue
to take new, confrontational steps today, Stoltenberg denied it was
a new Cold War in Ukraine, the West would not blink.
Ukraine can count on us.
For as long as it takes.
Stoltenberg was talking about the message that NATO delivered President
Zelensky during the virtual meeting today, the message that Lenski
delivered NATO he was not happy that Ukraine is still waiting for
an official invitation. 14 years after NATO first promised it, he
told NATO leaders today quote
open door policy should not resemble
The Kiev metro turnstiles open and when you approach the turnstiles
closed until you pay hasn't Ukraine paid enough? And compared to
the years that Ukraine has been waiting? Finland and Sweden are expected
to join NATO within a matter of months. Judy
And Nick meantime, tell us about the steps that NATO and Turkey took
today. After this deal that Turkey agreed to to let Finland and Sweden
join. NATO leaders officially invited Finland and Sweden to join
the alliance that was seen as a formality. But Turkey took a step
today, referring to the deals.
Clause that there were possible extraditions in Turkish officials
today demanded that Sweden and Finland extradite Kurds that Turkey
claims are terrorists. Some of them actually are journalists who
fled Turkey for fear of their lives. Reporters asked the Finnish
president, the Swedish prime minister about Turkey's demands today.
And those leaders frankly dismissed them, saying that the questions
of extradition were up to the courts and Judy. It's just not clear
what Turkey is going to do if its demands continue not to be met.
We'll certainly be worth watching. What happens there. And Nick?
What about the U. S announcements today? How do they fit in with
what we were discussing last night, which is NATO?
Planning to fortify its eastern flank, as we were talking about NATO
will send more troops to the Baltics from about 1000 troops. That's
a battalion level in each country to a brigade more than 3000 troops.
The US will contribute.
To those additional troops. Even as what we talked about tonight.
The U. S base in Poland and the U. S Brigade Combat team in Romania
are actually exclusively US forces. Separately, NATO will dramatically
increase the number of troops that are on high alert from 40,000
to 300,000. The U. S will participate in that with preassigned.
American troops staying in the U. S. But able to deploy at a rapid
level and also with preassigned equipment on the eastern flank Judy
that those troops will be able to use if they have to deploy.
And last thing Nick tell us how Russia is responding to these announcements
today by President Biden about additional troops, US troops in Europe
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today that the
U. S. Was under the quote allusion it would be able to intimidate
and restrain Russia. It will not succeed, of course, Judy
NATO officials say it is Russia that is trying to intimidate and
restrain NATO. Eastern European officials have long wanted the U.
S and Western European officials to see Russia's threats as empty.
The senior US officials I talked to still fear some kind of escalation,
but for now, Judy they are willing to take steps.
To bolster European security that they haven't taken in decades.
All right, Nick Schifrin reporting for us from the NATO summit in
Madrid. Thank you, Nick.