Thousands of additional U.S. and allied soldiers on the ground in Eastern Europe may not alter Russia’s military calculus on Ukraine. But the commitment is a boon to NATO member states near Russia’s border.
From Washington to Paris, governments have vowed to boost readiness and dispatch troops and hardware to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine — and show solidarity with eastern countries in the 30-member military alliance who see an urgent danger in Russia’s aggression. At the same time, they’ve made it clear troops won’t be deployed to Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, if it is invaded.
Even with no direct threat against NATO states, Russia’s military buildup on its territory and in Belarus has increased fears in the alliance’s east given the region’s historical ties with the Soviet Union and the way Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. That has prompted NATO to increase its military presence in the region.
