NATO and EU to seek new pact to deter Russia, tackle smugglers

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg briefs the media ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 19, 2016. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO and the European Union will formally declare a cooperation pact at the alliance's Warsaw summit in July, officials say, overcoming decades of confusion and mistrust over how to provide security beyond Europe's borders.

Forced together by fears of a Russian cyber attack, a migration crisis and failing states in Europe's neighbourhood, officials say the challenges requires both a military response and a softer security approach, combating propaganda and providing training to stabilise governments.