US Poised to Put Heavy Weaponry in East Europe, New York Times, June 13, 2015

AP Photo, Stryker Vehicles from the Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment Take Part in a Military Exercise in Riga, Latvia

*US POISED TO PUT HEAVY WEAPONRY IN EAST EUROPE*

New York Times, June 13, 2015

By Eric Schmitt and Steven Lee Meyers, 6 Hours Ago

Riga, Latvia- In a significant move to deter possible Russian aggression in Europe, the Pentagon is poised to store battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other heavy weapons for as many as 5,000 American troops in several Baltic and Eastern European countries, American and Allied officials say.

The proposal, if approved, would represent the first time since the end of the Cold War that the United States has stationed heavy military equipment in the new NATO member nations in Eastern Europe that had once been part of the Soviet sphere of influence. Russian's annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine have caused alarm and prompted new military planning in NATO capitals.

It would be the most prominent of a series of moves the United States and NATO have taken to bolster forces in the region and send a clear message of resolve to allies and Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, that the United States would defend the alliance's members closest to the Russian frontier.

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"US Poised to Put Heavy Weaponry in East Europe", New York Times, June 13, 2015, by Eric Schmitt, Steven Lee Meyers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/world/europe/us-poised-to-put-heavy-weaponry-in-east-europe.html