NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday the alliance sees no “immediate threats” as he sought to reassure members which are close to Russia.
“We are seeing a more assertive Russia that is trying to intimidate neighbors by changing borders by force,” Mr. Stoltenberg said during a visit to Bucharest to inspect a site where the alliance will build a facility in reaction to the crisis in Ukraine.
“NATO does not seek confrontation with anyone,” he said. “But we want to keep our members safe in the East and the South.”
Mr. Stoltenberg will visit the NATO Force Integration Unit later Thursday that is similar to ones that will be built in Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Romania will also have a multinational division headquarters which will be responsible for Romania and Bulgaria.
The alliance says the six small headquarters will be ready by the end of the year, each with a staff of 40 people who participate in exercises and can facilitate rapid deployment of forces to the region.
