The Pentagon is preparing to expand its military presence in Eastern Europe “amid the rise of Russian aggression”
Originally appeared at A-specto, translated by Borislav exclusively for SouthFront
An additional third military brigade will deployed in Eastern Europe: 4.2 thousand personnel will be located in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria on a rotating basis. In addition, 250 armored units will be deployed in Eastern Europe – tanks, infantry fighting vehicles “Bradley” and self-propelled howitzers “Paladin”. This whole arsenal will also be increased by more than 1,700 units of auxiliary equipment.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Robert York, Deputy Minister of Defense, explained the need to increase US forces in Europe by saying that many countries in Eastern Europe doubt the willingness of the US to protect them, especially against the background the growing Russian aggression. And so, the final steps of the Pentagon in this direction are to dispel these doubts.
The White House has already approved a plan to expand its military presence, the implementation of which should begin in February 2017. But among other things, the plan must receive approval by the US Congress. The plan may face changes, since it involves the release of a $ 3.4 billion budget for the initiative in ensuring European security. The military spending of the US remain the largest in the world.
In early February 2016 the Pentagon submitted a plan to increase military aid spending to Europe. After Russia took back its Crimea, NATO began to increase the amount of armament stored in Eastern Europe, and introduced a rotation of troops from the powerful Western countries of the alliance to the eastern region. Such a rotation of troops without their continued deployment in Eastern Europe, is present in the responsibilities of NATO in the framework of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Russia left this contract in 2015, but believes that the increase in stocks of weapons of NATO in Eastern Europe, is contrary to other treaties of Moscow with the Alliance.