NATO Plans New Eastern European Bases along Russia’s Borders

NATO chief has said the alliance plans to deploy its forces at new bases in eastern Europe in response to the crisis in Ukraine and to address a new Russian military approach.

The Guardian quoted NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen as saying the alliance's summit in Wales next week would overcome divisions within the alliance and agree to new deployments on Russia’s borders.

"We will adopt what we call a readiness action plan with the aim to be able to act swiftly in this completely new security environment in Europe,” the Guardian quoted Rasmussen as saying.

[…] it's our intention to develop what I would call a spearhead within that response force at very, very high readiness. […] The bottom line is you will in the future see a more visible NATO presence in the east."

The Guardian explained that "the Cardiff summit is likely to come up with a formula that would avoid the term "permanent" for the new bases but the impact will be to have constantly manned NATO facilities east of what used to be the iron curtain.”

Poland and the three Baltic states – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, have been demanding a stronger NATO presence in eastern Europe to deter a perceived threat to their territories following the annexation of the Crimea by Russia and Moscow’s advances in eastern Ukraine.

Hinting at likely divisions at the summit, the Guardian noted that France, Italy and Spain oppose the eastern European demands, the US and the UK support them, while Germany is "sitting on the fence, wary of provoking Russia.”

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