NATO agrees on largest rearmament program since Cold War

The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) has decided on the largest rearmament program since the Cold War. It provides for an extraordinary expansion and strengthening of deterrence and defense capabilities in the coming years. The German Press Agency learned about this after a meeting of defense ministers of the alliance countries in Brussels, Die Zeit and the Associated Press reported on Thursday, June 5.

NATO has agreed on the largest rearmament program since the Cold War, sources close to the negotiations told dpa. The priorities are long-range weapons systems, air defense and mobile land forces, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

"Today we are defining our defense capability goals. From there we will assess the gaps we have, not only to be able to defend ourselves today, but also in three, five, seven years," Rutte said.

The rearmament program takes into account intelligence assessments that russia could be ready to attack a NATO country in just a few years.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on June 5, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that NATO allies cannot rely on the United States for defense and must step up their own efforts.

On June 4, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that there are currently no plans to withdraw US troops from Europe.

In mid-May, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that the US and its European NATO allies would begin talks by the end of this year on reducing the US military contingent in Europe.