In Lithuania on Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said NATO is considering more permanent troop deployments in the Baltic states as the military alliance is looking to bolster its forces near Russia.
“We’re continuously reviewing within NATO our defense posture, including looking at questions of extending the deployment of forces, looking at questions of more permanent deployments,” Blinken said.
Later in the day, Blinken visited Latvia, where Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics called for a permanent presence of US troops in the country. “Looking at the most recent developments we would be very happy about the permanent presence of US forces here in Latvia,” Rinkevics said at a joint press conference with Blinken.
Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia all joined NATO in 2004, bringing the military alliance right up to Russia’s borders. In recent years, NATO has stepped up its exercises in the Baltic states, and the US has increased its presence in the region.
While the US has maintained it won’t send troops into Ukraine to fight Russia, Blinken reassured the Baltic countries that the US would intervene if they were attacked. “We will defend every inch of NATO territory if it comes under attack,” he said in Latvia. “No one should doubt our readiness. No one should doubt our resolve.
In February, President Biden ordered more US troops to be deployed to the Baltics. The deployment included 800 soldiers from an Italy-based infantry battalion, up to eight Germany-based F-35 fighter jets, and a German-based attack aviation battalion with 20 Apache helicopters.
Meaningless, except to tick the Russians off more.
NATO will one day have Europe / Britian looking like Ukraine today , it is a mathmatical certainty WW3 will take place , once the US thinks it has enough countries in NATO to give it over whelming odds against Russia , the US will engage Russia and withouta a doubt it will go nuclear Russia would have no choice .
JJ:
I find myself inclined to agree. I think your statement to be fairly accurate but I would also add, it seems the world is rather over due for a”shake-up”, though I certainly would prefer a non-nuclear shake up…
There is a reason NATO did not put permanent forces in the Baltic states: see Ukraine. It was a redline. See what happens when redlines are crossed.
So, bluffing? Just cross it and see what happens? That has not worked out so well for Biden.
There is an old expression about inviting our own problems and this appears to me to be, one of those times… I find NATO to be dangerously farcical and I find the US to be tirelessly redundant… These are the kinds of circumstances that can foolishly create the necessary atmosphere for war and perhaps, in this case: nuclear war…
I have no desire to be graphic but the US/NATO seem to have a hard-on for some kind of action (as if they have had too much time on their hands)…
It is at such times, that rather intentional (or unintentional) things can happen…
Their childlike war games could become a proving ground for some kind of confrontation with Russia. They seem to be itching for it…
Let’s face it, it has been a fairly long time since the last world war and perhaps the US and its cohorts feel the need for fomenting the neccessary circumstances for such a conflict to take place again…
My radar is up… Though, I certainly do hope that I am grossly in error…
All Esst European states have a good reason to be afraid. Particularly Baltic states, Poland, Croatia, Romania, All of them have the history in common with Ukraine. Former Hitler collaborators, like Baltic ststes, had received a lifeline from the West. Those still disgruntled by Hitler loosing. and by having to live in Soviet Union — found a new life, became dissidents, snti-communists, with their activities being funded by the west. It was a way for new venerstiom to think
differently about theiir fathers and grandfathers. Not as deluded Nazi followers, but as anti-communists, defended country against Soviet Union. They were the best Cold warriors. But their nostalgia for heady days of Hitler’s vision betrays them, Thus, regalia and unuforms, and ubiquitous torch parades. Abuse odf Russian minorities, agsinst all EU principles of human rights. Most of the leadership in East Europe comes from the milieu of that “disident “ background.
Russian rumble on denazification in Ukraine raisec scafy prospect of their collaborsting roots being exposed.
Yes, not since the confusing days of Soviet denmise have they felt this insecure.