U.S. tanks arrive in Latvia as part of NATO moves to protect Europe’s eastern borders

[Boats]

U.S. tanks arrive in Latvia as part of NATO moves to protect Europe’s eastern borders from Russian aggression
By Kelly Mclaughlin For Mailonline and Reuters
PUBLISHED: 10:16 EST, 8 February 2017 | UPDATED: 11:12 EST, 8 February 2017
RE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti..._campaign=1490


The first of four new battalions under NATO's banner arrived in Lithuania

NATO is expanding its presence to levels unprecedented since the Cold War

The German-led battle group of 1,000 troops in Lithuania will be joined this year by a US-led deployment in Poland

British-led troops will join Germany in Estonia and Canadian-led troops in Latvia

Doubts about the US commitment to NATO have surfaced since the election of President Donald Trump

US tanks arrived in Latvia on Wednesday ahead of NATO's moves to expand defense troops on eastern Europe's border with Russia.

Fifteen M1 Abrams tanks, six Bradley fighting vehicles and other military equipment has arrived in Garkalne, along with the US Army's 3rd Brigade 225 soldiers on Wednesday.
The soldiers will replace those from 173rd Brigade and will serve in Latvia as part of the Atlantic Resolve operation.

In moves agreed last year under former President Barack Obama, NATO is expanding its presence in the region to levels unprecedented since the Cold War, prompted by Russia's annexation of Crimea and accusations - denied by Moscow - that it is supporting a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The German-led battle group of 1,000 troops in Lithuania will be joined this year by a US-led deployment in Poland, British-led troops in Estonia and Canadian-led troops in Latvia.
They will add to smaller rotating contingents of US troops.

US soldiers will stay in Latvia until the arrival of the Canadian led multinational NATO battalion.

Doubts about the US commitment to NATO have surfaced since the election of President Donald Trump, who has described NATO allies as 'very unfair' for not contributing more financially to the alliance.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said Europe realized it needed to strengthen defense cooperation and was doing more to solve its own problems.

She also said US Secretary of Defense James Mattis reassured her about Washington's commitment to NATO in a recent telephone call.

'After what we discussed, I have no doubt about his deep conviction in the importance of NATO and the commitment of the Americans within NATO to what we have agreed,' she said at a welcoming ceremony at Lithuania's Rukla military base, 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Russian border.

Von der Leyen is due to hold her first meeting with Mattis in Washington, DC, on Friday.
In a phone call on Sunday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump agreed to meet alliance leaders in Europe in May.

Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite said the German battalion was arriving '(at) the right place and at the right time,' adding she hoped the troops' stay would be peaceful.

A NATO official said the NATO forces would participate in a major exercise in eastern Europe in June. A second official said it would include a simulated nuclear attack.

There are no end dates for stay of the new contingents, which will rotate every six months partly to comply with NATO's 1997 promise to Russia to avoid 'permanent stationing of substantial combat forces' in Central and Eastern Europe.

German officials said the battalion in Lithuania, which includes over 200 tanks and other ground vehicles, will be fully formed by June 2017, including troops from Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Luxembourg.

Photo's of movements are posted on the site - if interested?