Issues of strategic importance to the alliance will be discussed.
NATO will hold a meeting of Allied Chiefs of Staff on 19 May . During one of the sessions, it is planned to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which will be joined by representatives of NATO partner countries Finland, Sweden and Ukraine, according to the press service of the alliance.
“NATO's highest military body, the Military Committee, will meet on 19 May 2022 in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting will be chaired by Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the Military Committee. The meeting will be attended by Allied Chiefs of Staff. They will be joined by General Todd Walters, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and General Philip Lavigne, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACTUR), each of whom will chair the session, “the statement said. .
It is noted that the meeting of the Military Committee of NATO Defense Chiefs (MCCS) will give the opportunity to 30 Allied Chiefs of Staff to meet and discuss issues of strategic importance to NATO.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will join the Chiefs of Defense at the first session to consider the geostrategic context and preparations for the Madrid Summit in June. The second session will focus on Russia's war against Ukraine, and will be joined by representatives of NATO's partner countries Finland, Sweden and Ukraine.
The third session will be chaired by General Walters (SACEUR) and will focus on the implementation of the Euro-Atlantic Concept of Constraint and Defense (DDA) and on NATO's long-term position. NATO Chiefs of Staff will also meet with the Alliance's Asia-Pacific partners, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea, to discuss regional developments.
Earlier it was reported that Finland and Sweden plan to apply for NATO membership in May . Thus, both countries decided to speed up the accession process without waiting for the Alliance's summit in late June.
However, Russia has threatened Sweden and Finland with “consequences” if it joins NATO. Moscow is nervous about the prospect of enlargement of the Alliance. But will Russia open a “second front” in the Baltic Sea? This is stated in the article Alina Gritsenko “Sweden on the way to NATO: what will Russia respond?”.
