Nato 300,000 troops to be put on high alert over Russia threat

Nato's secretary-general has said this week's Madrid summit will agree the alliance's most significant transformation for a generation, putting 300,000 troops at high readiness in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

- Dan Sabbagh

Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance's forces in the Baltic states and five other frontline countries would be increased "to brigade levels" - doubled or trebled to between 3,000 and 5,000 troops.

That would amount to "the biggest overhaul of our collective defence and deterrence since the cold war," Stoltenberg said before the meeting of the 30-country alliance, which runs from today to Thursday.

The rapid-reaction Nato response force currently numbers up to 40,000, and the proposed change amounts to a broad revision in response to Russian militarisation. Under the plans, Nato will also move stocks of munitions and other supplies farther east.

The Norwegian secretary-general conceded that he could not make any promises about the progress of applications by Sweden and Finland to join Nato, because objections raised by Turkey to their membership remained unresolved.