US considering measures to bolster defence readiness in Europe

WASHINGTON: The United States is considering a range of measures to bolster air, maritime and ground readiness in Europe, the Pentagon has said, to allay concerns of its European allies in view of the crisis in Ukraine.

As the Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel made clear, the US continues to look for ways to reassure NATO allies of America's strong commitment to collective defence under Article Five, the Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said yesterday.

"To that end, we are considering a range of additional measures we could take to bolster air, maritime and ground readiness in Europe. Some of those activities will be pursued bilaterally with individual NATO nations," Kirby said.

"Some will be pursued through the Alliance itself. All of them will be rotational in nature," he said.

The official, however, said the Pentagon has nothing specific to announce at this time.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that Poland and the US will announce next week the deployment of US ground forces to Poland as part of an expansion of NATO presence in Central and Eastern Europe in response to events in Ukraine.

The visiting Poland's defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak told the Washington Post that the decision has been made on a political level and that military is working out the details.

There will also be intensified cooperation in air defence, special forces, cyber defence and other areas.

Poland will play a leading regional role, "under US patronage," he was quoted as saying.