Military tension in Europe is growing
Russia is alarmed by the increasing American military contingent in Eastern Europe, where in 2017 the U.S. could be deployed one armoured brigade. According to representatives of the Foreign Ministry, it will lead to “a significant deterioration of the situation in the military sphere”. While the Russian military are preparing a response to a new threat, unexpected allies of Moscow are, according to experts, to be U.S. congressmen, on which depends the allocation of money for the support of the European allies.
— The policy of containment, which was first declared in words, now acquires particular solutions in the field of military planning, and it provides a long-term negative trend not only for regional security but for the security of Europe as a whole, — told “Izvestia”, the Russian Ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko.
According to U.S. media, the Pentagon is planning in February 2017 to expand in Europe armoured brigade in the rotation stationed in the Old World American troops. This measure is intended to reassure Eastern European allies of the United States. The contingent of 4.2 thousand people will be divided between six countries — Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. The brigade will have about 250 units of armored vehicles — tanks “Abrams”, BMP “Bradley” and destroyers “paladin”.
Today in Europe deployed about 62 thousand American troops. According to TASS, in the 1980s, the number was more than 200 thousand people. Until 2012 the USA had in the Old World the four brigades, but subsequently, for economic reasons decided to return two of them to his homeland, leaving Europe without the armored joints.
Is demonstrative political gesture, which is not conducive to building trust, Deputy Director of the Institute of USA and Canada studies Pavel Zolotarev. — The US wants to force the Europeans to spend more on defense, and at the same time strengthen its presence.
To increase the American military presence in Eastern Europe, Russia intends to respond by moving percussion systems closer to the borders of NATO. The most striking example of possible deployment in Kaliningrad region rocket complexes “Iskander”. It is also planned to create a tank army, in which more than 800 units of various armored vehicles.
However, the plans to deploy additional U.S. forces in Europe can be called into question for purely financial reasons. The draft Pentagon budget for the 2017 financial year provides for the increase of costs on performance “Initiatives on European security” up to $3.4 billion In the current year the sum of $789 million a Fourfold increase in military expenditures in Europe may arouse the objections of Congress, which has yet to approve the budget for 2017.
— “Hawks” like McCain, in case of refusal to allocate funds, can, and will kick, but for the most part congressmen are pragmatists and are able to count money, — Pavel Zolotaryov says. — They where very happy to post something in your state than in Europe. The main thing for them — jobs for their constituents. So, I think Congress will be guided by practical reasons.
