Latvian Foreign Minister Calls For Increased NATO Presence In Eastern Europe

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2022) Ongoing Russian and Belarusian buildup in Europe must be addressed, particularly through strengthened NATO's presence in the region, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Monday.

Earlier in the day, NATO pledged to reinforce "allied deterrence and defense", amid rising fears of military escalation in Ukraine, by dispatching additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployment sites in Eastern Europe.

"We are reaching the point where continuous Russian and Belarusian military buildup in Europe needs to be addressed by appropriate NATO countermeasures. It is time to increase allied forces presence in the Alliance's Eastern flank both as measures of defense and deterrence," Rinkevics said on Twitter.

The European Union Foreign Affairs Council, which convened Monday, also focused on the security situation in the region, with the EU member states underscoring "massive consequences and severe costs" of anticipated Russian aggression towards Ukraine.

"When we say that sanctions (against Russia) will be unbearable, they have to be unbearable, and that is the only deterrent," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said at the doorstep of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

Meanwhile, other officials stressed that de-escalation of tensions around Ukraine is required, pointing out the importance of dialogue with Russia.

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"Of course, we have to continue to do our best to have a dialogue with Russia and avoid the escalation of the current situation, I would say that this is the most important topic of the day," Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets said at the Council doorstep.

Earlier on Monday, The New York Times reported that US President Joe Biden is considering deploying US troops to NATO allies in the Baltics and Eastern Europe. Pentagon officials reportedly introduced several possible scenarios of scaling up US military presence, including through dispatching 1,000 to 5,000 troops to Eastern Europe, "with the potential to increase that number tenfold if things deteriorate."

Tensions around Ukraine have flared up in recent months, with the West and Kiev accusing Russia of massing troops near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for invasion. Moscow has dismissed those claims, maintaining that it has no intention of invading Ukraine and stressing its right to move forces within its own territory.

Russia has also raised concern over increased NATO's military activity near its borders, saying that the allegations serve as a pretext for expanding the alliance's military presence and deploying more troops in Eastern Europe.