NATO War Games In Poland Get Russia’s Attention

NATO conducted a joint military exercise in northwest Poland with 30,000 troops. The exercise did not identify a specific enemy, but planners had Russian interventions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine in mind. The United States and Europe are relying on a stance used during the Cold War – that strength deters Russian aggression. Other researchers suggest that such exercises irritate Russia and could encourage a Russian response in the Balkan states. “Roughly 60,000 American troops are posted around Europe today, well below the Cold War peak of about 500,000,” reports David Welna for NPR. “The Pentagon is planning to rotate more Army units through European deployments, including a new brigade next year, and will more than quadruple the planned spending of $3.4 billion on what it calls European ‘reassurance.’” Many political divides in Europe could invite a range of interventions. – YaleGlobal