NATO to send 4,000 more troops to Baltic region by May 2017

(Baonghean.vn) - Chairman of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) - Petr Pavel said on September 18 that NATO plans to build 4 battalions with a total of 4,000 soldiers in the Baltic region before May 2017.

Illustration: Sputnik

Mr Pavel's statement came after a meeting of NATO leaders in Split, Croatia, this weekend.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Mr. Pavel as saying: "The purpose of these four military groups in the Baltic region is not only in terms of training. These forces also act as a deterrent and, if necessary, will participate as a combat force. The principles of deploying these forces in each case will be different."

In addition, Mr. Pavel also said that the implementation will be carried out before May 2017.

NATO has recently stepped up its military presence in Europe, especially in Eastern European countries, since the Ukraine crisis broke out, citing intervention in the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine.

At the NATO Summit in Warsaw on July 8, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO will increase its presence in Eastern Europe on the basis of the rotation of four battalions in Poland and the Baltic states. Specifically, the US will lead troops in Poland, while the UK will lead a battalion in Estonia, and Germany and Canada will be responsible for Lithuania and Latvia, respectively.

Thanh Hien

(According to Sputnik)