US Deploys Military Equipment To Baltic Nations To ‘Deter’ Russia

The US on Monday has delivered more than 100 military equipment to NATO-allied Baltic nations to deter perceived Russian threat.

The deliveries included Abrams Tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, Scout Humvees, Stryker armored vehicles along with combat support units.

"A company-size unit will be deployed in Lithuania, consisting of one tank squad and two squads of Stryker armored fighting vehicles with combat support units, around 20 vehicles in total, including five Adams tanks," Lithuanian Defense Ministry was quoted by Baltic News Service.

The deliveries are intended to “demonstrate resolve to President (Vladimir) Putin and Russia that collectively we can come together,” US Major General John R. O’Connor told AFP as he oversaw the delivery of the equipment in the port of Riga.

O’Connor said the armor would stay “for as long as required to deter Russian aggression”.
The three former Soviet-ruled Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all NATO and European Union members since 2004, have very little miliary hardware of their own.

The United States has begun to deploy 3,000 troops on major exercises in its NATO allies in the Baltic, the Pentagon said Monday.

Operation Atlantic Resolve is designed to show Russia’s nervous neighbors Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia the Western alliance will stand by them.