NATO announced on Monday that European allies were deploying added ships and fighter jets to Eastern Europe and putting new forces on standby in response to Russia’s continued military build-up along the Ukrainian border, according to a press release.
„Denmark is sending a frigate to the Baltic Sea and is set to deploy four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania in support of NATO’s long-standing air-policing mission in the region. Spain is sending ships to join NATO naval forces and is considering sending fighter jets to Bulgaria. France has expressed its readiness to send troops to Romania under NATO command,” the alliance said in a statement.
The alliance also said that the Netherlands is sending two F-35 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria from April to support NATO’s air-policing activities in the region, and is putting a ship and land-based units on standby for NATO’s Response Force.
The United States has made clear that it is considering increasing its military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance.
“I welcome Allies contributing additional forces to NATO. NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to protect and defend all Allies, including by reinforcing the eastern part of the Alliance. We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defence,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
As part of Russia’s recent ultimatums, the Kremlin demanded last Friday a raft of security guarantees including the withdrawal of NATO forces from countries that were not members of the alliance prior to 1997 — namely Bulgaria and Romania. The redeployments indicate that NATO is not only rejecting Russia’s request but, in fact, increasing its presence, as it did in 2014 following Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea, according to Politico.