BRUSSELS, December 2 (Sputnik) — NATO foreign ministers will discuss financial aid to Ukraine's defense sector, measures to increase the presence of the alliance in Eastern Europe and officially launch NATO's new noncombatant mission in Afghanistan at a Tuesday meeting in Brussels, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
At a North Atlantic Council meeting, the allies are expected to discuss the prolongation of their military presence on NATO's eastern borders. Following Crimea's reunification with Russia in March, NATO has been placing additional forces in Eastern Europe citing the need to ensure security of its allies. Since then, according to Stoltenberg, military exercises have been held by NATO once in every two days.
The next issue to be discussed at the meeting is the NATO's noncombatant mission in Afghanistan that will substitute the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). From January 1, 2015, the alliance will no longer engage in combat missions in the country, but will set up a new mission to support Afghan troops with training and financial assistance. However neither the time frames nor the size of the new mission have been determined yet. The directive that will formally launch the new mission is expected to be approved Tuesday in the presence of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah.
