Russia deploys more troops and equipment to Baltic Area

(June 7) Russia's Western Military District has announced that it will deploy more troops along with motorized units into the western region as the US and NATO troops are deployed in the Baltic and other areas that border Russia.

Troops said to be deployed to defend Russia
The movement of Russian troops places more Russian forces near where NATO has stationed troops and carried out operations. The announcement said the deployed troops are meant to “perform tasks on ensuring the defense of the Russian Federation in the Western Strategic direction.” With the Russian buildup the way is being paved for more tit-for-tat challenges and further buildups on both sides.

Russia complained about US and NATO activity

The Russian deployment came just days after Colonel General Sergei Rudskoj of the Russian General Staff had complained about "anti-Russian' operations carried out by the US and NATO members adjacent to Russia's borders. The largest deployment of US troops in a quarter century had been scaled down because of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic but the US still was able to step up its presence through other maneuvers.
However, the timing is a bit odd as the US is removing 9,500 troops from Germany who are allegedly designed to confront Russia although Germany is not right at the Russian border. Perhaps the two sides will be able to reach some kind of balance and avoid a continual buildup. Neither side presumably seeks a Russian US NATO war as a result of the mutual buildups.

Statement by US Navy official

Navy Vice Admiral Lisa Frachetti said in a press conference: "In these challenging times, it is more important than ever that we maintain our steady drumbeat of operations across the European theater while taking prudent measures to protect the health of our force. We remain committed to promoting regional security and stability, while building trust and reinforcing a foundation of Arctic readiness."
The exercises by NATO and the US include aerial activity over Sweden and Norway in northern Europe but also over the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East as well as over the Ukraine where the Russians are supporting an insurgency in the east. There are even joint operations with the UK in Antarctica in the Barents sea where the two countries are holding missile defense drills.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Trump orders 9,500 US troops out of Germany

(June 5) Relations between the US and Germany have reached such a low level that the Trump Administration has announced that 9,500 troops will be returning from Germany to the US.

Trump has constantly complained about Germany not sharing expenses

Trump has complained for years that the Germans do not pay a fair share of the expenses of keeping US troops there. He has maintained the same position with other countries as well, such as South Korea. In Germany, the withdrawal will still leave 25,000 troops in the country. No doubt, this will be a new cap for US troop presence in the country. Under present policy up to 52,000 US troops can be in Germany at any one time.

The US has used the threat to pull out troops as a lever to demand Germany increase its share of their costs. However, polls have shown that Germans would prefer they leave rather than pay more. There appears to be no political backlash against Germany's refusal to pay more for US troops.

In the past, the US has had many more troops in Germany as part of Cold War deals. The US troops are still nominally there to fend off any threat from the Russians, but there appears no big threat from Russia. Indeed the US is now bothered by increased trade relations with Russia as evidenced in the Nordstrom 2 project a pipeline from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany.

US Ambassador to Germany issued threats

On May 25 of 2020 then US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell blasted Andreas Nick, the head of the German Delegation to Parliamentary Assembly who complained that Grenell had been issuing threats over Germany's low funding of NATO spending tweeting: “You always wanted me to stop asking you publicly to pay your NATO obligations and calling for an end to Nord Stream 2. But these are US policies. And I work for the American people.” Grenell also said: “Instead of undermining the solidarity that forms the basis of NATO’s nuclear deterrence, it is now time for Germany to meet its commitments to its allies and to continuously invest in NATO’s nuclear participation.” Also, in May Grenell had accused Germany of undermining NATO's nuclear deterrent when German legislators had called for the removal of US nuclear weapons from Germany.

Nick responded to Grenell by noting that previous US ambassadors he had known had always left as highly respected figures and as trusted friends of Germany but that Grenell was leaving while issuing threats and acting as if the US were a power hostile to Germany.

As indicated on the appended video Grenell has resigned. The Trump administration seems to use its power to try and bully other countries into doing its bidding. The result when used against allies is often to alienate them and at times increase the influence of countries that the US considers enemies.