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NATO is testing its ability to rapidly deploy across eastern Europe �� without direct U.S. assistance �� as Washington shifts its approach toward European defense and the war in Ukraine.The six-week Steadfast Dart 2025 exercises across Bulgaria, Romania and Greece are taking place as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches the three-year mark. They involve some 10,000 troops from nine nations and represent the largest NATO operation planned this year.The U.S. absence from the exercises comes as European nations scramble to build greater military self-sufficiency over their concerns about the Trump administration’s commitment to common defense and demands for increased European military spending.President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his intention to negotiate with Russia directly. And U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at his first meeting with NATO colleagues in Brussels on Wednesday that European nations should dramatically increase their defense spending and shoulder the “overwhelming share�� of funding for Ukraine.Greek and Spanish marines led Thursday’s military demonstration, an amphibious assault near the central Greek city of Volos, in the first full-scale operational deployment of NATO’s new Allied Reaction Force.Established last July, the force represents NATO’s latest strategic evolution, designed to deploy at scale within 10 days and combining conventional forces with cyber and space-based technologies.“This is what we’ve been training for,�� the ARF's commander, Italian Lt. Gen. Lorenzo D’Addario, told The Associated Press after the 90-minute demonstration.“The thinking is that NATO wanted to have a force that is ready, that is flexible, that can operate across the five domains �� air, sea, land, but indeed cyber and space �� in a way that ensures it answers the (needs) of defending the alliance, but also deterring (conflict),�� he said.Western military officials �� anticipating lasting tension with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, possibly beyond the Ukraine conflict �� argue that NATO’s new capability is becoming increasingly important to reinforce its eastern flank. “As we soon approach the anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, we see today a revitalized and refocused NATO," said Canadian Lt. Gen. Peter Scott, the deputy commander of NATO's Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, who also attended the exercise.He described the exercise as “a significant milestone, an accomplishment in the modernization and expansion of NATO’s readiness to defend every inch of allied territory.”Scott said preparations for the exercise started two years ago and followed cooperation with planners from non-participating countries including the United States.“But in future exercises, there’ll be a different makeup of countries that are going to participate. But purely for this one, that’s just the way it rolls out.”The current exercise involves forces from nine NATO members, including regional rivals Greece and Turkey, deploying 17 naval vessels, more than 20 aircraft and over 1,500 military vehicles. Britain leads the operation with 2,600 military personnel and 730 vehicles, assuming command of all land forces during the drills.The drills, which end Feb. 26, focus on rapid deployment scenarios and multi-domain operations across air, land, sea and special forces, underscoring NATO’s shifting military posture along its eastern boundaries.Participating nations are Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Earlier this week, Communist-backed groups staged small protests near the training area in central Greece, opposing the country’s involvement in overseas deployments.