U.S. to beef up military presence in Eastern Europe

The Pentagon plans to deploy an armored brigade combat team to Eastern Europe next February as part of the ongoing effort to rotate troops in and out of the region to reassure allies worried about threats from an increasingly aggressive Russia. The decision will put three fully equipped Army brigades in Europe on a continuous basis, and underscore promises made by defense leaders to protect Europe and send a message to Moscow that any actions against allies would be unacceptable.

This Army implementation plan continues to demonstrate our strong and balanced approach to reassuring our NATO Allies and partners in the wake of an aggressive Russia in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.

General Philip Breedlove, the top U.S. commander in Europe

The increased U.S. military support comes a year after the Defense Department unveiled sweeping plans to consolidate its forces in Europe, taking thousands of U.S. military and civilian personnel out of bases mostly in the United Kingdom and Portugal, in an effort that was expected to save about $500 million each year. But, Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine over the past year and its annexation of the Crimea region has worried Eastern European nations, which fear they may be next. The latest Pentagon moves are seen as an effort to deter Russia from taking any further aggressive action against any other European nations. Russian leaders have denied any intention of future invasions.

Stories are being spread that Russia will send its tanks into the Baltic states, into Sofia or into Budapest. No one intends to do that. There are no such plans, nothing. Russia does not want war. The very idea of it is ridiculous.

Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle

Pentagon Eastern Europe