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NATO defense chiefs to discuss tasks of rapid response force, Ukraine conflict

According to the press service, the chiefs of defense will receive an overview of the security situation in and around Ukraine and evaluate the development of enhanced military to military cooperation

© Nikitin Maxim/TASS

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BRUSSELS, January 21. /TASS/. The NATO chiefs of defense will gather for a two-day meeting in Brussels starting on Wednesday to focus on the implementation of the Readiness Action Plan, including the creation of a high-readiness reaction force, and the situation in Ukraine’s south-east.

The Readiness Action Plan, which was approved at NATO’s September 2014 summit in Wales, envisages enhancing the alliance’s military presence in Eastern Europe, including establishing additional military infrastructure, increasing the number of drills and deploying on the territory of eastern allies of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF).

The high-readiness force, which will serve as a spearhead within the NATO Response Force (NRF), will be able to deploy within a few days and consist of a land force of several thousand troops — primarily from Germany, Norway and the Netherlands.

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Russia’s envoy warns NATO against military build-up in Eastern Europe

The rapid response force is to be established in 2016.

The second day of the Military Committee meeting will begin with “special partner Ukraine,” the NATO press service said. The chiefs of defense “will receive an overview of the security situation in and around Ukraine and evaluate the development of enhanced military to military cooperation,” it said.

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