Russian Threat? US Sending More Tanks to Poland to Boost NATO Forces in E Europe

US armored forces will be arriving at a German port this week as a part of a military rotation to strengthen NATO and will be sent by rail to Poland, US Department of Defense spokesperson Peter Cook said in a briefing on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The tanks and other vehicles will be unloaded at the north German port of Bremerhaven and will then be shipped by rail into Poland, where they will be deployed as part of the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI), Cook said.

"Tanks [and] trucks [are] scheduled to arrive in Europe this week from the Third Armored Brigade [of the] Fourth Infantry Division from Fort Carson [in] Colorado, Cook announced.

The ERI was launched in 2014 and expanded in 2016 to deter alleged Russian aggression against NATO member states in eastern Europe.

The Defense Department asked for and received $1.7 billion in funding for the ERI military build-up in Europe in its fiscal year 2017 budget.

NATO currently plans to deploy 4,000 troops in the Baltic region by May 2017.

Russia has repeatedly stated that amassing troops and equipment on its borders constitute provocative acts that can destabilize the region and the world.

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