In an effort to deter Russia from launching an attack on any of its members, NATO said the military organization is setting up new multinational battlegroups in eastern Europe.

The battlegroups will be set up in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, containing between 1,000 and 1,500 troops each.

NATO secretary Jens Stoltenberg said they would stay there and remain in place 'as long as necessary'.

Stoltenberg pointed out on Wednesday that the organization has a new normal concerning security, and it has to respond to that new reality.

He said the leaders were likely to agree to send more assistance to Ukraine, including, "equipment to help Ukraine protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats."

NATO's 30 allies are worried about Russian rhetoric and fears that Moscow might want to create a pretext to use chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said that, "any use of chemical weapons would totally change the nature of the conflict," and would have "far-reaching consequences" for Russia. He declined to elaborate.