Extra U.S., Allied Troops Bolster NATO’s Eastern Flank
- NATO, allies have lined up to help states near Russian border
- Numbers would reinforce thousands in Baltics, Poland, Balkans
A Kyiv Territorial Defense unit training session in Kyiv on Jan. 29.
Photographer: Chris McGrath/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Thousands of additional U.S. and allied soldiers on the ground in Eastern Europe may not alter Russia’s military calculus on Ukraine. But the commitment is a boon to NATO member states near Russia’s border.
From Washington to Paris, governments have vowed to boost readiness and dispatch troops and hardware to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine -- and show solidarity with eastern countries in the 30-member military alliance who see an urgent danger in Russia’s aggression. At the same time, they’ve made it clear troops won’t be deployed to Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, if it is invaded.