NATO Troops May Be Deployed in Europe to Counter ‘Russian Aggression’

NATO plans to deploy thousands of troops along Russia’s border with eastern Europe in a bid to deter an “aggression” by Moscow, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The article comes after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday called on the Alliance's ministers to increase its presence in Eastern Europe in order to send a "powerful signal to deter any aggression."

According to The Telegraph, US, UK and German troops may be deployed in eastern and southern Europe and in the Baltic states.

The NATO defense ministers meeting scheduled to be held in Brussels later on Wednesday will discuss the new plan, according to the paper. The deployment could involve up to 500-1,000 troops being sent to each of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, the paper reported. According to the paper, the outlines of the plan are expected to be agreed within a week.

Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, particularly in Eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move.

In September, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that any NATO advancement toward Russian borders would prompt Moscow to take counter-measures to ensure the country's national security.

Russia has repeatedly expressed concerns over NATO's military buildup along its western borders, warning that the alliance's expansion undermines regional and global security.