NATO defence ministers agreed to immediately set up six bases in eastern Europe and establish a spearhead force of 5,000 troops in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday.
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and Britain agreed to take the lead in forming the spearhead force, which would be available to deploy within a week in a crisis, Stoltenberg told a press conference after talks in Brussels.