Spain to deploy troops in Slovakia, reinforce presence in Romania

VILNIUS, Lithuania

Spain announced Tuesday that it will contribute to the new NATO defense plan by deploying troops in Slovakia and reinforcing its presence in Romania.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez made the announcement in Lithuania's capital Vilnius ahead of the two-day NATO leaders' summit, which kicked off on Tuesday.

"As a committed member, Spain is going to announce the deployment of Spanish forces in Slovakia to reinforce the eastern front and we are going to reinforce our presence in Romania with a greater number of troops," Sanchez said.

The new allied defense plan will be approved later in the day in Vilnius.

Currently, the Czech Republic leads the NATO combat group in Slovakia, which includes troops from Germany, Slovenia, and the US.