NATO Response Force activated for first time after Russia invades Ukraine. What is it?

NATO has activated its Response Force for the first time in an armed conflict as fighting continues in Ukraine following a Russian invasion.

The move was announced by NATO Friday, Feb. 25, in a statement that also denounced Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

“This is an historic moment and the very first time the Alliance has employed these high readiness forces in a deterrence and defense role,” Gen. Tod Wolters, supreme NATO commander, said in a statement, CNN reported.

The activation of the Response Force does not mean troops will head to Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, experts said.

Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on three fronts early Thursday, Feb. 24, “bombarding cities, towns and villages” as forces advanced toward the capital of Kyiv.

“This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter as Russian forces attacked Chernobyl, site of the 1986 nuclear disaster.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued that his military forces are protecting citizens in eastern Ukraine who want to rejoin Russia, BBC News reported. Zelenskyy and President Joe Biden have rejected those claims.

“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said in a statement announcing sanctions against Russia, CNN reported.

But Putin has warned other nations against getting involved in the conflict.

“Whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people, must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to the consequences you have never seen in history,” Putin said Feb. 24, BBC News reported.

Ukraine, the second-largest nation in Europe by size, was part of the former USSR until it declared independence in 1991.

Here’s what you need to know about the NATO Response Force and its potential role in the conflict.

What is the NATO Response Force?

It’s “a highly capable joint multinational force able to react in a very short time,” according to NATO. It includes land, air, sea and special operations units.

The 40,000 troops consist of units from NATO’s 30 members who rotate in and out in 12-month increments, NATO said.

How will the NATO Response Force be used in the current conflict?

Wolters said the force has been activated as a “deterrent” to further aggression by Russia, CNN reported.

Whie the NATO treaty commits members to defend each other against attackers, Ukraine is not a member of NATO.

President Joe Biden has said U.S. military forces will not be deployed to Ukraine but will bolster defenses in other European nations, The Hill reported.

“These deterrence measures are prudent and enhance our speed, responsiveness and capability to shield and protect the one billion citizens we swore to protect,” Gen. Wolters said, according to the publication.

How is the NATO Response Force activated?

All 30 NATO members must agree to activate the Response Force.

Why was the NATO Response Force created?

NATO agreed to create the Response Force in 2003 to provide “a rapid military response to an emerging crisis” after the end of the Cold War, NATO said.

It has previously been deployed to disaster relief operations and to protect elections and the Olympic Games.

This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 4:25 PM with the headline "NATO Response Force activated for first time after Russia invades Ukraine. What is it?."