BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – An expanded British presence in NATO’s rapid reaction force and its contribution to the protection of Baltic airspace serves to "resist Russian aggression," the ministry quoted UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon as saying in a press release published Wednesday.
"It shows that Britain stands at the heart of NATO and continues to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity," Fallon said.
Fallon previously committed to sending 1,000 British military personnel to join NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF, or "Spearhead"), expected to become operational next year.
Western countries, including Britain, have adopted a series of logistical and economic measures in response to what they claim is Russian involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. Moscow continues to deny the accusations and considers NATO’s military accretion close to its western borders a potential threat to national security.
