North Macedonia: US leads exercise in NATO’s newest member

By FLORENT BAJRAMI and KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
Associated Press

KRIVOLAK, North Macedonia (AP) — U.S. troops are joining forces from Britain, France, Italy and allied countries in the region in a military exercise held in NATO’s newest member North Macedonia. The drills are aimed at displaying deployment readiness along the alliance’s eastern borders. Nearly 10,000 soldiers from 19 nations are taking part in NATO’s planned “Swift Response” exercises as the war in Ukraine continues for a 12th week. The exercises are being held in five separate locations from Norway to North Macedonia. U.S. troops joined the North Macedonia drills on Thursday.