Germany to put its troops in NATO’s quick reaction force on higher alert

BERLIN – Germany will put its troops in NATO’s quick reaction force on higher alert, enabling them to deploy more quickly to protect eastern European allies in case of an escalation of tensions with Russia, the defence ministry in Berlin said.

The decision, taken in close cooperation with NATO’s highest military commander and allies, is a reaction to Russia’s conduct and meant to reduce the time needed to prepare for deployment in case of an activation of the NATO Response Force (NRF), the ministry said in a statement according to Reuters.

“The increased readiness to deploy enables NATO, in case of a further escalation by Russia, to guarantee appropriate reassurance in particular to our eastern European allies in order to protect allied territory,” the statement added.