iStock/Thinkstock(ZAGAN, Poland) — More than 3,000 U.S. troops were welcomed by Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and the country’s defense minister, Antoni Macierewicz, on Saturday in a NATO show of force.
In the snowy, western Polish town of Zagan, Szydlo said it was an important day “for Poland, for Europe and our common defense” as the U.S. troops were sent under “Operation Atlantic Resolve” to reassure NATO allies against Russian threats.
The U.S. force, which includes troops and tanks, is expected to rotate every nine months through several countries in Eastern Europe. It marks the first time western forces have been deployed on a continuous basis to NATO’s Eastern Flank.
“America will always stand with Poland to defend freedom,” U.S. ambassador Paul W. Jones said Saturday.
Russian officials this week criticized the increased military presence of its neighbor. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told BBC the move “threatens our interests and our security.”
“It’s a third country that is building up its military presence on our borders in Europe,” he said to BBC. “It isn’t even a European country.”
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