NATO to conduct largest military drills in decades

BRUSSELS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is set to hold its largest exercise in decades, with approximately 90,000 forces slated to participate, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe Christopher Cavoli said on Thursday.

The exercise, dubbed "Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024," is scheduled to commence next week and will extend through May. All NATO's 31 members and Sweden will participate in the maneuvers, Cavoli told a press briefing in Brussels following a two-day NATO military chiefs of defense meeting.

Regarding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, said that "There is back and forth in the front" and "Both sides are now in a phase where it is not moving a lot forward one way or the other."