US To Keep Troops In Europe At 100,000 Unless Security Situation Escalates - Reports

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2022) The United States will keep the current number of troops in Europe at 100,000 unless Russia escalates the security situation in the region by threatening Sweden and Finland or NATO members, CNN reported on Friday, citing multiple US officials.

The US is ready to establish more bases in Europe if the security environment changes, and can also temporarily increase the number of troops if NATO decides to conduct more military exercises, the report said.

The future plans are being considered by US military commanders after a meeting of NATO's military chiefs in Brussels on Thursday, the officials said. The chiefs are expected to pass their recommendations about the security posture in Europe to a NATO defense ministerial scheduled for June as well as to NATO leaders, including President Joe Biden.

Since the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine in February, the United States has increased the number of troops stationed in Europe from about 60,000 to 100,000.

On Wednesday, the ambassadors of Sweden and Finland handed over their countries' applications for NATO membership to the alliance's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. Their membership hinges on unanimous approval by NATO member states, but Turkey and Croatia seem to hold back the accession process.