US, UK to deploy troops and weapons to strengthen NATO’s Eastern flank

Europe, News, US January 30, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S. President Biden has announced that he is planning to send a small number of soldiers to East European countries “in the near term” to support NATO’s Eastern flank amid fears of a Russian incursion into Ukraine.

According to the Biden administration officials, the U.S. is considering to deploy additional troops and military equipment to European states, includes Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

U.S. President Biden said: “I’ll be moving troops to Eastern Europe and the NATO countries in the near term.”

“We’re going to actually increase troop presence in Poland, in Romania, etcetera… They are part of NATO,” Biden added.

Earlier on January 26, U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets landed at Amari Air Force Base in Estonia to support NATO’s enhanced air policing mission.

In addition, the NATO is also “sending additional ships and fighter jets” to Eastern Europe, which includes Denmark’s F-16s, Spanish naval forces, the Netherlands’ F-35s, according to the alliance’s statement.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin placed 8,500 U.S. soldiers on high readiness in the event of a deployment decision. According to Austin, the Russian military buildup near Ukraine has already reached the point where Russia’s President Putin has a complete range of military options.

“While we don’t believe that President Putin has made a final decision to use these forces against Ukraine, he clearly now has the capability,” Defense Secretary Austin said in a press conference.

*^{U.S. soldiers take part in joint military exercises in northwestern Poland on June 2, 2020. (Image Credit: Marcin Blelecki/EPA-EFE)}*

British Prime Minister Borris Johnson also made similar comments on January 29, as he said that “I have ordered our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our NATO allies.”

Britain is considering to deploy its troops and defensive weapons in Estonia to strengthen NATO alliance amid rising tensions with Russia over the Ukraine issue, according to the statement.

British prime minister also said that the package of troops and defensive weapons “would send a clear message to the Kremlin – we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our NATO allies in the face of Russian hostility.”

Although Ukraine is not a member of NATO, the U.S., UK and other NATO allies fear that Russian attack on Ukraine would spillover into neighboring NATO countries.