Lithuanian soldiers inspected a United States Army Stryker vehicle last year during an exercise. Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Latvia, are among the NATO countries that have been asking for a statement of American military support. Credit Bryan Denton for The New York Times
New York Times: U.S. Fortifying Europe’s East to Deter Putin
WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to substantially increase the deployment of heavy weapons, armored vehicles and other equipment to NATO countries in Central and Eastern Europe, a move that administration officials said was aimed at deterring Russia from further aggression in the region.
The White House plans to pay for the additional weapons and equipment with a budget request of more than $3.4 billion for military spending in Europe in 2017, several officials said Monday, more than quadrupling the current budget of $789 million. The weapons and equipment will be used by American and NATO forces, ensuring that the alliance can maintain a full armored combat brigade in the region at all times.
Though Russia’s military activity has quieted in eastern Ukraine in recent months, Moscow continues to maintain a presence there, working with pro-Russian local forces. Administration officials said the additional NATO forces were calculated to send a signal to President Vladimir V. Putin that the West remained deeply suspicious of his motives in the region.
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Update: DOD requesting 3,000-5,000 more troops for Europe in FY17 budget (Stars and Stripes).
WNU Editor: This is all PR and politics. A few thousand troops and and a few tanks is not going to make a difference in the defense posture of Eastern Europe .... and it will certainly not change Moscow's agenda.
