The US plans to carry out small ground force exercises in Poland and Estonia in an attempt to reassure Nato’s eastern European members who are intensely worried about Russian expansionist ambitions.
The moves are part of a broader effort by Nato to strengthen the alliance’s air, sea and land presence in eastern Europe in response to Russia’s new assertiveness in the region.
However the land-force exercises the Obama administration is planning are extremely modest. The forces would consist of one US army company and would last about two weeks, officials said. A company consists of about 150 soldiers.
