NATO summit starts today, amidst tensions with Russia

NATO leaders are attending a summit in Warsaw, intended to demonstrate their resolve as tenstions with Russia increase.

The 28-nation alliance is expected to officially agree to station some 3-4,000 NATO troops in the Baltic states and eastern Poland, on a rotating basis. Under the deal four multinational battalions will be stationed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland made up of some 3,000 troops from the UK, US, Germany and Canada.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced that a 500-strong battalion from the British Army will be deployed to Estonia and 150 UK troops will be based in Poland. The UK will also take over the running of a standby NATO force in 2017, with 3,000 troops based in the UK and Germany.

Cameron insisted that the UK would not "turn its back" on European defence following the Brexit vote. The summit’s aim: to reassure countries in the region that NATO is ready to defend them – while trying to avoid antagonising Moscow.

“Stability of the Euro-Atlantic region depends on security beyond our borders. While we should stand by our defence commitment, we must enhance cooperation with all partners, both in the eastern and southern neighbourhood. We are not surrounded by enemies, we are surrounded by challenges,” said Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Ukraine , although not a member of NATO, has been invited and President Poroshenko will meet allied leaders later today.

US President Barack Obama has called for sanctions on Moscow to be maintained until it fully complies with a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. The Baltic states and Poland fear Russia will seek to destabilise their pro-Western governments.

The EU and Nato joint declaration pledges to accelerate co-operation in the face of so-called "hybrid threats", which include propaganda and psychological campaigns, cyber-attacks, and use of political, economic and energy pressure.

NATO members made the decision after Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

"Nato does not seek confrontation," its chief Jens Stoltenberg said, vowing continued dialogue with Russia. "We don't want a new Cold War. The Cold War is history and it should remain history."

The Kremlin dismissed talk of a threat from Russia as absurd, saying it hopes “common sense” will prevail at the summit.