Soldiers from Belgium and Luxembourg line up as they prepare to board a military transport plane at Melsbroek Military Airport in Melsbroek, Belgium, July 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)
BRUSSELS (AP) — In the year after Russia launched outright war on Ukraine, NATO leaders approved a set of military plans designed to repel an invasion of Europe. It was the biggest shake-up of the alliance’s defense readiness preparations since the Cold War.