NATO ministers approve new multinational force for east

Brussels — NATO defense ministers have approved a new multinational force to beef up defenses of frontline alliance members most at risk from Russia, the alliance’s secretary general says.

Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday the new unit will be multinational and will rotate in and out of Eastern European member states rather than being based there. He said military planners will decide on its composition during the spring.

The new force’s multinational composition, Stoltenberg said, will make it clear that for NATO, “an attack on one ally will be an attack on the whole alliance.”