Latest news Ukraine

NATO tests European deployment capabilities without US participation

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears its 4th year, the EU moves toward military self-sufficiency amid concerns over Trump’s commitment to collective defense.

byYuri Zoria

14/02/2025

2 minute read

nato tests european deployment capabilities without participation uh-60 black hawk helicopter during steadfast dart 2025 exercises heli conducting major military across eastern europe direct assistance six-week involve approximately 10000 troops

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercises. Screenshot: Youtube/HuffPost Greece

NATO tests European deployment capabilities without US participation

NATO is conducting major military exercises across eastern Europe without direct US assistance. The six-week Steadfast Dart 2025 exercises involve approximately 10,000 troops from nine nations across Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece, AP reports.

The US absence from the exercises comes as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears the end of its third year. Meanwhile, European nations push for greater military self-sufficiency, as the US under Donald Trump shifts its approach to European defense and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Greek and Spanish marines led a military demonstration on 14 February 2025, conducting an amphibious assault near the central Greek city of Volos. This marked the first full-scale operational deployment of NATO’s new Allied Reaction Force, established in July 2024.

The force combines conventional military capabilities with cyber and space-based technologies, designed for deployment within 10 days.

British forces lead the operation with 2,600 military personnel and 730 vehicles, commanding all land forces during the drills. The exercises involve 17 naval vessels, more than 20 aircraft, and over 1,500 military vehicles from Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.

Canadian Lt-Gen Peter Scott, the deputy commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, indicated that while US planners contributed to exercise preparation, future exercises would involve different participating nations.

“But in future exercises, there’ll be a different makeup of countries that are going to participate. But purely for this one, that’s just the way it rolls out,” he said.

The exercises, ending 26 February 2025, focus on rapid deployment scenarios and multi-domain operations across air, land, sea and special forces, underscoring NATO’s shifting military posture along its eastern boundaries.

Related:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!