North Atlantic Treaty Organization officials are discussing plans to place troops in member countries bordering Russia in an attempt to defend their territory from the eastern powerhouse.
NATO announced two plans it is currently considering. The first would place a battalion in Poland and in each of the three Baltic states made up of approximately 800 to 1,000 soldiers per unit. The U.S. and other allies including Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia say this plan is appropriate in light of the severe security threat Russia poses to Europe.
The other strategy would entail planting a single NATO battalion in the region, according to the Wall Street Journal.
German officials have stated in private discussions that they are skeptic of taking such a harsh stance against Moscow, but would be open to the smaller initiative.
On Wednesday, NATO officials welcomed Russian observers to its Trident Juncture as a gesture of transparency.
.@NATO is serious about transparency & welcomed #Russian observers to #TridentJuncture Tues. https://t.co/UZvxGVUIYu pic.twitter.com/a9WTSybNnU
— NATO Joint Force Command Brunssum – JFCBS (@NATOJFCBS) October 28, 2015
Russia, who has repeatedly said it views NATO as the real threat to security, does not support either plan.
