JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Pushes NATO to Ready More Forces to Deter Russian Threat” – Reuters

June 5, 2018 JRL Russia List Europe, EU, Military, NATO, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations

“The United States is pressing European allies to ready more NATO battalions, ships and planes for combat … to shore up NATO’s deterrence against a potential Russian attack. … seek[ing] broad agreement for the plan … when … defense ministers meet, laying the ground for endorsement by NATO leaders at a [July] summit …. [envisioning] 30 land battalions, 30 air fighter squadrons and 30 navy ships such as destroyers ready to deploy within 30 days of … alert … the proposal does not discuss specific troop numbers or a deadline …. [Battalion] size … var[ies] across NATO, from 600 to 1,000 …. Russia’s annexation of Crimea prompted NATO to set up a small, rapid-reaction ‘spearhead’ force and put four battalions in the Baltics and Poland, backed up by U.S. troops and equipment …. [A] 2016 [Rand] study [said] Britain, France, and Germany could each muster a brigade of three or more battalions … with battle tanks and other armor in around a month. …[albeit] leaving little capacity for … other conflicts. …”