• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

U.S. Committed To Defend 'Every Inch Of NATO Territory,' Austin Says At Start Of Alliance Meeting

By RFE/RL October 13, 2022

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed Washington's commitment to defend "every inch" of NATO territory ahead of a meeting in Brussels of defense ministers from the 30-member Western alliance on October 13 that will include closed-door discussions by its nuclear planning group.

Austin's statement came following thinly veiled nuclear threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin amid setbacks by Russian forces on the battlefield in their nearly eight-month-long invasion of Ukraine.

"We are committed to defending every inch of NATO's territory -- if and when it comes to that," Austin said.

Austin spoke shortly before attending a meeting by NATO's Nuclear Planning Group, which is the alliance's senior body on nuclear issues and handles policy associated with its nuclear forces.

On the sidelines of the Brussels meeting, a group of 13 NATO members and Finland, which is in the process of joining the alliance, has signed a letter of intent to procure air defense systems such as the Arrow 3 and Patriot.

The group that signed the letter of intent on October 13 in Brussels includes Germany, Britain, Slovakia, Norway, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, and Slovenia.

Some NATO members have been looking to improve their air-defense systems in the wake of Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine. Others need to replace or upgrade systems after giving weaponry to Ukraine.

On October 12, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group comprising some 50 countries announced at a meeting in Brussels the delivery of new air defenses and committed more military aid to Kyiv to protect against Russia's indiscriminate missile attacks across the country.

Russia has been launching waves of missile strikes on several regions of Ukraine for four days in a row, bombing multiple cities, including Kyiv, as reprisals for a blast at the weekend that damaged the only bridge between Moscow-annexed Crimea and mainland Russia.

Pledges from allies included an announcement by France that it would deliver radar and air-defense systems to Ukraine in the coming weeks. Canada said it would provide artillery rounds and winter clothing among other supplies.

Germany has sent the first of four planned IRIS-T SLM air-defense systems, while Washington said it would speed up delivery of a promised NASAMS air-defense system.

Austin said Russia's latest attacks had laid bare its "malice and cruelty" since invading Ukraine. He said Ukraine had shifted momentum since September with extraordinary gains but would need more help.

U.S. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Ukraine wants a complete air-defense system to defend against aerial attack.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-committed-defend-nato- territory-austin-says/32080420.html

Copyright (c) 2022. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.