BALTIMORE, Maryland April 9, 2014 - The AP and at least one other news site - HAARTZ.com - are reporting tonight that the United States or NATO are considering a plan to deploy U.S. and other NATO Troops to Eastern Europe to counter Soviet Troop Build-Ups. NATO's top military commander in Europe, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, is ordered by the alliance to draft counter-measures to dramatic Soviet escalations at several locations in Eastern Europe. The Four Star General told the AP in an interview that the troops could also be those from other NATO nations. At present, the Soviets have been sending thousands of troops and combat equipment to the Ukraine border with Russia, to South Ossetia in Georgia, and, possibly, to the border between Finland and Russia, where a Russian military spokesman admitted that Russian troops were practicing maneuvers they would use in the event of a nuclear war. Foreign Ministers of the 28 NATO aignees told Breedlove he had until next week to propose steps that would reassure NATO members nearest the Russian build-ups of the Alliance's commitment to defend in the event of further and continued Russian aggression.
"Essentially what we are looking at is a package of land, air and maritime measures that would build assurance for our easternmost allies," Breedlove told the AP. "I'm tasked to deliver this by next week. I fully intend to deliver it early." When the AP interviewer asked Breedlove a second time if United States troops would be among those sent to the front line of the deployment, the Four Star General replied, "I would not write off contributions from any nation."
Russia invaded Crimea in early March, some six years after it invaded Georgia and occupied two areas within Georgia's national boundaries. That occupation continues and a leading United States Congressional Leader said in an interview two weeks ago that he was concerned about the buildup of troops and high-tech equipment in South Ossetia, which is one of the two parts of Georgia under continued Soviet occupation. Russian Strong Man Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel ten days ago that he was pulling troops off the Russia-Ukraine border, but it has not happened.
Speaking at the end of a NATO conference in Paris, Breedlove told the AP the Russian armed presence near Ukraine's frontier continues unabated.
To illustrate his point, the general's staff provided the AP with a set of commercial satellite photographs they said showed Russian warplanes, combat helicopters, armor, artillery and a probable airborne or special forces brigade deployed in locations east of the Ukraine-Russian border, including along the coastline of the Sea of Azov. The AP says that they took the photographs provided by General Breedlove and showed them to a respected defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Anthony Cordesman, the analyst, said the troops and equipment depicted in the photographs are not involved in military exercises. Instead, Cordesman told the AP, the forces appear to be "in combat readiness." The company that Breedlove procured the photographs from, DigitalGlobe, told the AP that the photos provided by General Breedlove and shown to Cordesman were taken in late March.
"What we see there is a force of about 40,000," Breedlove said. "I would characterize it as a combined arms army. In other words, this is an army that has all of the provisioning and enablers that it needs to accomplish military objectives if given them."
The Russians' assets include fixed and rotary wing aircraft, artillery, field hospitals, communications and jamming gear, General Breedlove told the AP.
There is, as yet, no clear indication of Putin's intentions. It is almost as if he is also keeping his options open. But if he decides to invade Ukraine or Georgia or Armenia (another nation directly threatened by the staging going on in South Ossetia.) Breedlove explained on possible course of action that Russia has available to it if it decides to move into Ukraine. If the troops massing on the Russia Ukraine border were intending on an extended mission, those invading forces might "drive south to create a land bridge with Crimea, push along the Black Sea coast to the Ukrainian port city of Odessa and the largely Russian Trans-Dniester enclave of Moldova, or invade other areas of eastern Ukraine where ethnic Russians are demanding unity with Russia," General Breedlove said. Whatever Putin intends to do with them, they would be completely ready to move within twelve hours. Credible and Incisive has already reported on increased United States-led air patrols and AWACs patrols over Poland and Romania. Breedlove told the AP that NATO members have made enough equipment and manpower pledges to the Alliance to carry out increased naval patrols and maneuvers through the end of 2014. But the decorated general said it is extremely important to carefully plan what the forces would do in Eastern Europe once they are deployed there. The top priority is to present all exercises as strictly defensive in nature unless Russia takes an aggressive step.
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