The United States of
America is preparing to boost its military presence in Europe and at a cost
of up to $1 billion, President Barack
Obama said Tuesday, as tensions in the region simmer over Russia’s
aggressive actions in Ukraine.
Standing with Polish President
Bronislaw Komorowski, Obama said the U.S. plans to send more military
equipment and rotate additional American troops into the region. He called on
lawmakers back in Washington to provide the funding to sustain the effort.
“Today, I’m announcing
a new initiative to bolster the support of our NATO allies here in Europe,”
Obama said at Warsaw’s Belweder Palace. “Under
this effort, and with the support of Congress, the United States will
preposition more equipment in Europe.”
If approved, the funding will be used to increase military
exercises and training missions on the continent, as well as rotations of air
and ground forces, the White House said. Officials said Obama was also seeking
to ramp up U.S. Navy participation in NATO deployments in the Black and Baltic
Seas, plus working to boost the military capacity of non-NATO countries that in
Russia’s neighborhood, including Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
Obama’s announcement came at the start of a three-country
swing through Europe steeped in both historical significance and regional
anxiety over the crisis in Ukraine.
Photo Credit:
AP/Charles Dharapak
Story Credit:
Nedra Pickler for AP
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