18,000 NATO troops conduct large-scale exercises near Russia's border.

US soldiers during a military exercise in Poland in 2017. Photo: AFP

According toAFPThe Saber Strike exercise, conducted by NATO's armed forces, will last for approximately two weeks, from June 3rd to June 15th, in Poland and the Baltic states, with the participation of around 18,000 soldiers from 19 member countries.

This information comes as Poland has just signaled its willingness to pay $1.5-$2 billion for the US to deploy a permanent military base in the country, aiming to send a message to Russia that the US will always protect its allies in Eastern Europe.

Poland's proposal has been criticized by Russia. The Kremlin warned that deploying US troops permanently in Poland would "not benefit the security and stability of the region."

The US began increasing its presence on NATO's eastern flank, and specifically in Poland, since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The US established a military base in Poland in May 2017 to manage 6,000 personnel deployed within NATO and US forces in the region.

This is one of the largest troop deployments in the history of U.S. forces in Europe since the Cold War, intended to "intimidate" Russian military exercises near the borders of its Eastern European allies.

The US also leads NATO's multinational task forces in Poland, comprising military personnel from Germany, the UK, and Canada, to support the military operations of Baltic states such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Saber Strikes exercises are planned to be held at these locations.

In an effort to strengthen its defense alliance with Washington, Poland decided in March to spend $4.75 billion on the US Patriot air defense system, one of Warsaw's largest arms purchases.

Moscow has voiced its opposition to the deployment of Patriot missiles in Poland and Romania, saying the move violates the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and that the Patriot missiles could be designed to strike Russian territory.