Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its second month, is forcing the U.S. national security establishment to reconsider its original defense plans. President Joe Biden’s trip to Belgium and Poland, where he participated in several summits and announced another package of economic sanctions against Russian officials and defense firms, is clear evidence that Europe is Washington’s main priority at the moment.
Today, there are approximately 100,000 U.S. troops stationed in Europe, an almost 20% increase since January. The surge is driven by Washington’s desire to enhance NATO deterrence and reassure NATO allies that any Russian aggression on NATO territory would be met with a forceful response. (This week, the alliance agreed to deploy four more battle groups to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia.)
Additional U.S. military assets have been sent to Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania and the Baltics, including F-16 fighters, AH-64 Apache helicopters and P-8 surveillance aircraft. Senior Pentagon officials have talked about reevaluating the recently released Global Posture Review, which places a premium on regions like the Indo-Pacific.
