KIEV, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Visiting chair of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee Robert Bauer said the alliance is prepared for a possible conflict with Russia, the ArmyInform online media outlet reported Friday.
"Are we ready? The answer is yes! This is our main task to be ready. If it happens today, we will have to fight with available means," Bauer was cited as saying.
In recent years, NATO has significantly strengthened its eastern flank, launching an Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) operation in Baltic countries, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, Bauer said.
Currently, NATO has eight battalion-size battlegroups, which can repel a possible Russian attack on the alliance's eastern flank, he added.
On Thursday, Bauer made his first trip to Kiev since the start of the full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022.
During his visit, Bauer met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and participated in the 16th annual Kyiv Security Forum, according to local media reports. ■
