SVK Government gives green light to NATO's troop presence for purposes of protecting Slovakia and NATO's eastern border

Today (9 March 2022), the SVK Government has given the green light to the proposal of Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď for NATO's troop presence in Slovakia in order to establish the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Slovakia (NATO eFP BG SVK).

This comes as Slovakia and NATO take action in response to Russia's unprovoked, massive invasion of Ukraine, which has added to the feeling of urgency to bolster the defences of NATO's eastern border, including those of Slovakia. The aim is to demonstrate the cohesion of Allies and declare their readiness to jointly defend against any threat. With this move, NATO member states make it clear that an armed attack against one Ally will be considered an attack against them all.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: "I believe that the current reality Russia has created for the whole world with its aggression against a sovereign state without any pretext is a sufficient reason to stop seeking views from 'all cardinal points', because one of them has grossly violated international law and is attacking civilian targets – these are the facts. Therefore, I sincerely hope that the proposal to augment the security of our people and territory alongside the Allies will receive clear support from across Parliament."

The proposal to stand up a multinational NATO battalion-size enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup in Slovakia relies on the presence of up to 2,100 NATO troops, to include up to 600 Czech, 200 Dutch, 100 Polish, 100 Slovenian, 400 American and 700 German soldiers, supported by military equipment and materiel.

The total number of military personnel in the battlegroup is tied to the amount of military equipment which they will operate in defending Slovakia and which they need to complement due to the niche capabilities of the Slovak Armed Forces. For example, consider the Patriot air defence systems or the potential employment of the Sentinel radar systems.

NATO's multinational eFP battlegroups were formed as the Alliance's instrument of deterrence in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. The US-led BG is stationed in Poland, the German-led BG in Lithuania, the Canadian-led BG in Latvia, and the UK-led BG in Estonia.

After Russia's unprecedented assault on Ukraine, NATO Member States have decided to establish additional battlegroups along the Alliance's Eastern Flank, including in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia.

The proposal to establish the NATO eFP BG SVK must still pass through Parliament.