Ukraine is our ‘1937 moment’

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Mr Johnson is expected to announce “significant reinforcement” for Estonia, potentially more than doubling the number of British troops available to the Baltic state.

Mr Stolt also confirmed that Nato unitsenberg across eight eastern and south-eastern alliance members would be strengthened to brigades, normally comprising around 3,000 to 5,000 troops.

Nato officials on Monday said the transition to the new model would not be completed until next year, with details still being hammered out.

The defining Nato summit comes as diplomatic tensions simmer over freight shipments to Kaliningrad. Lithuania received threats from Moscow for stopping Russia using railways to transport coal, metals and other sanctioned goods to the military exclave.

Mr Stoltenberg said: “I’m confident that Moscow, Putin, understands our collective security guarantees, understands the consequence of attacking a Nato allied country. It will trigger a response from the whole alliance.”

Nato will also change its outlook on Russia from the current description of Moscow as a strategic partner. Russia would be designated as the “most direct and immediate threat to our security”, Mr Stoltenberg said of the language to be adopted as part of the “Strategic Concept” – Nato’s plan for the next decade.

The secretary general poured cold water on the hopes of Sweden and Finland being admitted to the alliance at the summit. He said he would host talks between Turkey and the Nordic nations in Madrid, but warning against an immediate breakthrough on Ankara’s opposition to them joining.

Nato will also announce plans to run training missions to bring Ukraine’s armed forces to the alliance’s standard.

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