UK Sends More Military To Baltic States Amid Russia, NATO Confrontation

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Britain are to send more soldiers and fighter jets to aid NATO in Eastern Europe in the biggest reinforcement since Cold War times

As tension continues to mount between Russia and the West, Britain have responded to Russia’s increasing presence in the Baltic states, by sending in more British soldiers and fighter jets, in a move described by Putin as “saber rattling”.

Defense Secretary Michael Fallon told the BBC, “We have to continue to strengthen NATO … It is very important we keep sending Putin this message that we are determined in our commitment to the collective defense of NATO”.

Rt.com reports:

Britain is going to contribute to the rapid reaction force “spearhead” being created that is set to be stationed in in Eastern Europe and be ready for deployment in a matter of two days after receiving an order.

Starting from 2016, Britain will provide 1,000 troops to this force, 3,000 the year after and will now contribute a battle group of around 1,000 soldiers every year until 2021, Fallon said. British Typhoon fighter jets will continue to patrol the skies of the Baltic States next year, he added.

Last week NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that NATO is implementing “the biggest reinforcement” of defense since Cold War times.

“NATO is facing a new security environment both caused by violence, turmoil, instability in the south, ISIL in Iraq, Syria, North Africa, but also caused by the behavior of a more assertive Russia, which has used force to change borders to annex Crimea and to destabilize eastern Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.

Poland and the three Baltic States Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been demanding a greater NATO presence on their territory after the political crisis in Ukraine evolved into a full-fledged civil war in spring 2014.

Warsaw and Vilnius are in talks with Washington about the permanent stationing of US army equipment warehouses on their territories.

This all provoked a harsh reaction in Moscow, with President Vladimir Putin NATO’s activities may prompt a response.

“If someone threatens our territories, it means that we will have to aim our armed forces accordingly at the territories from where the threat is coming. How else could it be? It is NATO that approaching our borders, it’s not like we are moving anywhere,” Putin said Tuesday.

Western countries have been accusing Russia of destabilization of the situation in Eastern Ukraine by providing alleged support to the rebels that refused to recognize new Kiev authorities.

The west also refused to recognize reunification of the Crimea peninsula with Russia, claiming that despite will of the locals it was an annexation of territory.

In the meantime, the majority of people in the UK and most other European members of NATO say they no longer support the key principle of the alliance: an armed attack on one must be regarded as an attack on all.

“For many in Europe, there is a clear conflation of NATO as a defense alliance depending on the US and at the same time of the US as a belligerent and irresponsible force,” said David Galbreath, professor of international security at the University of Bath.

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