- Title: U.S. troops arrive for deployment in Baltics in fresh signal to Russia
- Date: 16th October 2019
- Summary: RIGA, LATVIA (OCTOBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) U.S. SOLDIER GUIDING U.S. ABRAMS TANK OFF SHIP TANK ROLLING DOWN GANGPLANK ONTO DOCK TANK AND SOLDIERS IN PORT VARIOUS OF MILITARY VEHICLES ROLLING DOWN GANGPLANK (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY MAJOR, AARON HIATT, SAYING: "All of our operations over the past month are in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which is intended to reassure our allies on the continent and to deter our adversaries in order to ensure a strong Europe." TANK BEING PARKED BRADLEY CAVALRY FIGHTING VEHICLE ROLLING DOWN GANGPLANK ONTO DOCK SOLDIERS STANDING IN PORT (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ARMY LIEUTENANT GENERAL, STEPHEN JOHNSON, SAYING: "That's 29 tanks, 21 Bradleys, four mortar carriers and approximately 500 soldiers. We're here as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, we're here to train the Lithuanians and move through Latvia. We're extremely excited to be here. This is a deterrence mission but more importantly we're going to partner with our NATO partners to train and learn from each other." BRADLEY CAVALRY FIGHTING VEHICLE DRIVING IN PORT SOLDIERS STANDING BY GANGPLANK OF SHIP
- Embargoed: 30th October 2019 10:36
- Keywords: Riga Latvia Lithuania NATO US presence in Eastern Europe NATO deterrence US deployment US Army
- Location: RIGA, LATVIA
- City: RIGA, LATVIA
- Country: Latvia
- Topics: NATO,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1CKBP5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Five hundred U.S. soldiers and dozens of military vehicles disembarked from a ship in Latvia's capital Riga on Wednesday (October 16) before travelling on to Lithuania in a move meant to deter potential Russian aggression.
The six-month deployment is likely to reassure Baltic allies that U.S. President Donald Trump remains committed to Europe's eastern flank despite recent Pentagon cuts to European defence projects.
The troops will leave after a military exercise in spring 2020, rehearsing defence of the so-called Suwalki Gap, the only land route between the Baltic States and the rest of the NATO.
Moscow says it has no intention of invading the Baltics or Poland and accuses NATO of destabilising Europe by moving troops closer to Russia's borders.
Troops from allies including Britain, Canada, France and Germany have been rotating through fellow NATO members Poland and Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia since Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014.
(Production: Ints Kalnins, Masha Vasilyeva, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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