NATO plans boundary update to bolster Euro-Atlantic security

NATO's Allied Command Operations (ACO) will update its provisional, regional boundaries to enhance the Alliance's military posture across the Euro-Atlantic area, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) announced Thursday.

The adjustment transfers responsibility for Denmark, Sweden and Finland from Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum to NATO's newest command, Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk), according to a statement.

"With the alignment of our adversaries around the globe, it is imperative we strengthen the Euro-Atlantic area as much as possible, and reinforce our posture in the High North," Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Alexus G. Grynkewich said at a press briefing.

JFC Norfolk's area of responsibility will now include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, in addition to the Atlantic.

Grynkewich described Norfolk as "the strategic bridge between North America and Europe, defending far more than just our sea lines of communication."

NATO has three Joint Force Commands-Naples, Brunssum and Norfolk-which operate under SHAPE to plan, manage and coordinate military operations. Each command oversees its own geographic area of responsibility.

'TÜRKİYE TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT ALLY'

Grynkewich emphasized that NATO strives for alignment with the European Union and aims to combine its strengths effectively, in response to a question from Anadolu about NATO-EU cooperation.

"NATO is a military alliance with a military command structure. It's natural that we would define what the military needs are for the member states...The EU's got some great capabilities as well," he said.

He praised Türkiye as a "tremendously important ally" with a "tremendously capable armed forces," noting that some of the alliance's top leaders come from Türkiye.

HYBRID THREATS

Commenting on the recent rise of hybrid threats in Europe, Grynkewich said attacks are expected to continue.

"We know that Russia is behind some of this. Maybe not all of it, but certainly some of it...This doesn't represent an existential threat to anything that the alliance is doing. It's not undermining our unity. We're able to respond and manage it," he added.

The general also highlighted NATO's intention to be more "proactive" while underlining that it remains a defensive alliance.

Responding to a question about whether Russia might test Article Five of the NATO treaty, which says that if an armed attack occurs against one of the member states, it should be considered an attack against all members, Grynkewich said: "I think they're testing us every day."

He identified the main risk as "close coordination among our adversaries," noting that "China is financing Russia's war in Ukraine, North Korea is supplying troops and equipment, and Iran is providing equipment and technology transfers."