NATO plans new bases in Eastern Europe

BRUSSELS, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The head of NATO said new bases in Eastern Europe will be built to counter potential conflict with Russia.

Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the NATO summit next week in Cardiff, Wales, would overcome divisions within the 28-nation mutual security organization and establish opportunities to deploy troops and equipment near the Russian border.

Poland and the three Baltic countries formerly part of the Soviet Union -- Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia -- have been especially vocal about the anxiety as a potential target for Russian involvement, in light of Russia's recent annexation of Crimea, and its perceived role in helping militants in Ukraine's breakaway eastern provinces.

According to Rasmussen:

"We will adopt what we call a readiness action plan with the aim to be able to act swiftly in this completely new security environment in Europe. We have something already called the NATO response force whose purpose is to be able to be deployed rapidly if needed. Now it's our intention to develop what I would call a spearhead within that response force at very, very, high readiness. In order to be able to provide such rapid reinforcements you also need some reception facilities in host nations. So it will involve the pre-positioning of supplies, of equipment, preparation of infrastructure, bases, headquarters. The bottom line is you will in the future see a more visible NATO presence in the east."

The United States and the United Kingdom support a troop buildup in Eastern Europe; France, Spain and Italy oppose it, with Germany, eager to avoid provocation of Russia, undecided.

Sources said the Cardiff summit will likely avoid using the term "permanent" to describe new bases, but a presence in Eastern Europe is likely to begin. The only NATO headquarters east of the former Iron Curtain is in the Polish port city of Szczecin, and is expected to be the hub for the new bases.

The collective defense of NATO, in light of Russia's recent moves, will be the focal point of the summit meeting. Former NATO Supreme Commander Adm. James Stavridis suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin's policy of aggression will backfire.

"We should have larger and more robust maritime deployments both north in the Baltic and south in the Black Sea. We should, in my view, support the Ukrainian armed forces with equipment, training, cyber support advice and help them prepare in case Russia takes the next step which would be an overt invasion of Ukraine," Stavridis said.