The British Defense Minister Grant Shapps announced today, Monday, his country's intention to send 20,000 soldiers to one of the largest military exercises conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since the Cold War.

Shapps said - in a speech he delivered in the capital London, broadcasted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) - that "personnel from the army, navy, and the Royal Air Force will be deployed in the exercise 'Defender Europe,' which involves 31 countries."

He warned that the West stands at a crossroads, adding: "We are at a new stage and must prepare to deter our enemies, lead our allies, and defend our nation... There is much danger, insecurity, and instability in the world."

The exercise "Defender Europe" is the first of its kind in terms of technical capability, as real-world geographic data will be used to create more realistic scenarios for the forces. The training is scheduled to take place in Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) in the coming February and March, and it will be part of a new training strategy that will see NATO conduct two major exercises each year instead of one. It will also train to confront terrorist threats beyond its immediate borders.. NATO officials considered these exercises an essential part of its tools that show Moscow that NATO is ready to fight.