SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — NATO’s secretary general on Thursday visited a military training site in Bulgaria, inspecting the activities of a multinational unit set up as a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Mark Rutte told reporters it was important to ensure that the alliance continues to provide military assistance, training and advice to Ukraine so that “one day Ukraine will be strong enough to start peace talks and they will be from the position of strength.”

The Bulgaria-based joint unit, comprised of 1,200 to 1,300 soldiers, was set up as part of NATO’s commitment to reinforcing its southeastern flank against potential threats from Russia. Half of the soldiers are from Italy, while the rest including troops from the United States, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Turkey.

The unit is expected to grow eventually to a brigade of up to 5,000 troops.

“This Multinational Group is working towards growing into a brigade to support NATO security on the eastern flank and to send a clear message that we are ready to defend our countries together,” Rutte told reporters.

NATO has also sent additional multinational battlegroups to alliance members Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia since 2022.

Rutte was accompanied by Bulgaria’s foreign and defense ministers, Ivan Kondov and Atanas Zapryanov at the military base in Novo Selo, eastern Bulgaria,

He urged all NATO allies to spend more on defense and boost their military production.