NATO began six-week exercises near Volos, Greece, today, testing its ability to deploy rapidly across Eastern Europe without direct US assistance.
The six-week "Stidfast Dart 2025" exercises in Bulgaria, Romania and Greece are taking place ahead of the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
They involve around 10.000 soldiers from nine countries and represent the largest NATO operation planned this year.
In addition to Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom are participating in the exercises with 17 ships, more than 20 aircraft and 1.500 vehicles. The operation is led by the British with 2.600 troops and 730 vehicles. The US absence from the exercises comes as European countries struggle to build greater military self-sufficiency, concerned about the positions of the new US administration of President Donald Trump on the issue of collective defense and separation.
Trump announced yesterday that he intends to negotiate directly with Russia about Ukraine. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday in Brussels, at his first meeting with NATO colleagues, that European countries should dramatically increase defense spending and take on a "huge share" of Ukraine's funding.
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