US President Joe Biden has stated that some of American forces deployed elsewhere in Europe would be sent to the Baltic states to defend the eastern flank of NATO after Russia’s announcement of ordering troops into eastern Ukraine, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports.
In a statement in Washington earlier this week, Biden said: «I say clearly, these are our defences. (..) We have no intention of fighting Russia.»
As to the specific number of reinforcements the ERR quoted a US Department of Defence source also said an infantry battalion would be relocated from Italy to the Baltic States, as well as 20 Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from Germany, plus another 12 being redeployed to Poland, from Greece. In addition, small number of eight Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets would also be moved from Germany to various locations on NATO’s eastern flank, ERR wrote quoting the source.
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Estonian foreign and defence ministries have welcomed the announcement. Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet stated that Estonia would receive more air defence, a deployment which Estonia had been calling for. «I thank all the people who have worked for it. They have made a very serious contribution to Estonia’s security,» ERR quoted Laanet as saying.
US announces sending to Baltics some American forces deployed elsewhere in Europe
