Nato leaders approved plans yesterday to found a “rapid reaction” force capable of arriving anywhere at a few days’ notice.

Secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen claimed the cold-war alliance’s new unit would send a clear message to potential aggressors.

He said the new force would number in the thousands and would be able to deploy anywhere in the world.

However, he made it clear that it would be posted in eastern Europe.

“In these turbulent times, Nato must be prepared to undertake the full range of missions and protect allies against the full range of threats,” he said.

“Should you even think of attacking one ally, you will be facing the whole alliance,” he threatened as the two-day Nato summit in Wales drew to a close.

Britain offered to contribute 3,500 personnel to the new force, which will have naval, air and special forces capability.

Prime Minister David Cameron said its headquarters could be in Poland, with forward units in the easternmost Nato member countries and equipment stockpiled there in advance.

There were no final decisions on where the forces would be based, but Mr Rasmussen said Poland, Romania and the Baltic countries had all indicated willingness to host the bases.

Mr Rasmussen said the high-readiness force would give Nato a “continuous presence” in eastern Europe.

Nato announced that its next summit, in 2016, will be held in Warsaw. 

The Polish capital was “the place where the Warsaw Pact was created and overthrown,” boasted Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, somewhat inaccurately.