“Three years ago, the last American tank left Europe; we all wanted Russia to be our partner. My country [the US] is bringing tanks back … as part of our commitment to deterrence in Europe,” Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the commander of US Army Europe, said at the storage reopening ceremony, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal.
Under the plan, five more equipment storage sites are planned to be either reopened or built from scratch in the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and at two locations in Germany with over 1,600 vehicles to be stored there.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected assertions about its intentions and actions in the region. Moreover, Russia has warned against NATO’s increasing military buildup along its borders despite previous agreements, stating such actions are provocative and threatening regional and global stability.
Alliance's activities in Europe may undergo changes under the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump. He repeatedly said during his presidential campaign that Washington should review its relationships with NATO allies which he insisted should pay more for having their security guaranteed by the United States.
