SOFIA, Bulgaria — On Thursday, the Secretary General of NATO visited a military training facility in Bulgaria to assess the operations of a multinational unit established in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022.
During his visit, he emphasized the necessity for the alliance to maintain its support for Ukraine through military aid, training, and strategic advice. He stated that it is crucial for Ukraine to build its strength, which will enable the nation to engage in future peace negotiations from a position of power.
The joint multinational unit, stationed in Bulgaria, consists of approximately 1,200 to 1,300 soldiers and is part of NATO’s commitment to bolster defense along its southeastern borders amid potential threats from Russia. The unit includes Italian soldiers making up half of the force, with contributions from the United States, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey.
Plans are in place for the unit’s expansion into a brigade that could ultimately comprise up to 5,000 personnel. The Secretary General remarked, “This Multinational Group is working towards growing into a brigade to support NATO security on the eastern flank and to send a clear message that we are ready to defend our countries together.”
Since 2022, NATO has also deployed additional multinational battlegroups to its member states, including Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, to strengthen their defense capabilities.
Accompanying him during the visit were Bulgaria’s foreign and defense ministers, Ivan Kondov and Atanas Zapryanov, at the Novo Selo military base in eastern Bulgaria. He also called for all NATO allies to increase their defense expenditures and enhance their military production capacities.
