U.S. to send 600 troops to Eastern Europe to reassure NATO allies

4/22/2014

WASHINGTON -- The United States will send about 600 U.S. troops to Poland and the three Baltic states to take part in exercises in the coming days to reassure NATO allies following Russia's seizure of the Crimean region from Ukraine, the Pentagon said today.

Rear Admiral John Kirby, a top Defense Department spokesman, said the bilateral exercises planned for Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were in addition to the regular training schedule the U.S. military has with those countries and were added due to the events in Ukraine.

“The United States takes seriously our obligations under Article 5 of the NATO alliance, even though these aren't NATO exercises,” Kirby said. “It's a very tangible representation of our commitment to our security obligations in Europe."