Obama sends special forces to Russian border

[airtel]

US sends special forces to RUSSIAN BORDER as Nato is poised to strike back against Vladimir Putin’s ‘aggression’
Russia is reportedly deploying nuke-ready missiles in the province of Kaliningrad which borders Lithuania

By MARK HODGE
4th January 2017, 9:07 am





Comments
PRESIDENT Obama has deployed US special forces troops along Lithuania’s border with “aggressive” Russia.

Tensions between Washington and the Kremlin have reached Cold War levels amid reports Vladimir Putin is deploying nuke-ready missiles in the Russian province of Kaliningrad – which borders Poland, Belarus and Lithuania.


AP:Associated Press
3
President Obama has sent US troops to the Russian border with Lithuania amid increased military aggression by Vladimir Putin

And Lithuanian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Asta Galdikaite confirmed America has offered additional military support following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

She said: “The United States was the first to offer additional safety assurance measures to the Baltic countries following the deterioration of the security situation in the region after the annexation of the Crimea.”

She added: “US Special Operations Forces presence in Lithuania is one of the deterrents” against military threats by Putin’s aggressive regime, reports the Express.



US military chief General Raymond T Thomas told the New York Times that America has a “persistent” presence in the Baltic states bordering Russia.

He added that many former Eastern Bloc countries are “scared to death” of Russia and the vulnerable states are “desperate” for America’s leadership.

The US and its Nato allies will send battalions of up to 1,200 to each of the three Baltic states – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – and Poland by spring this year, reports the New York Times.

Lithuania’s foreign minister Linas Linkevicius confirmed Russia’s military activity in Kaliningrad is terrifying the region.

He said: “Iskander missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads have been deployed. There are S-400 missiles and modernised jets.”


Reuters
3
Russian leader Putin is reportedly deploying nuke-ready missiles in the Russian province of Kaliningrad

Barcroft Media
3
Russia has developed a diesel-electric submarine which will patrol the Black Sea
Outrage as land-grabbing Putin's says 'Russia's borders don't end anywhere'
Linkevicius branded Russian behaviour in the region “military hooliganism” and called on Nato to take action and offer more support to beleaguered Ukraine.

He said: “Russia likes to create problems, conflict and then suggest some ideas how to mitigate, how to mediate - and some of our colleagues say ‘look they are cooperating’.”

In November, Putin’s naval forces unveiled their latest super-stealth submarine which has been deployed in the Black Sea as a shocking new report revealed Russia is "taking over" the region.

Kremlin bosses promised Russia would never allow the sea to become a “Nato lake” and they firmly believe the military alliance would crumble if, as feared, the Americans pull out.

Relations between the outgoing Obama administration and Russia have soured following allegations that Putin ordered the email hack which helped scupper Hillary Clinton's presidential bid.

The White House has since expelled 35 Russian diplomats and has shut down two "spy" compounds in New York and Maryland in response to what it claims is a campaign of harassment by Russia against American diplomats in Moscow.

Vladimir Putin rejects plans to expel US diplomats in retaliation against Washington



https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2531054/america-special-forces-russian-border-lithuania-obama-putin/

 

[airtel]

Lithuania confirms presence of US special forces as a ‘deterrence against Russian aggression’

Published time: 4 Jan, 2017 01:55
Get short URL

© Ints Kalnins / Reuters

Vilnius has confirmed that an American Special Forces contingent is stationed in Lithuania to bolster the training of the Baltic state’s own commandos and to serve as a deterrence against potential “Russian aggression.”
TrendsRussia-NATO relations


“The United States was the first to offer additional safety assurance measures to the Baltic countries following the deterioration of the security situation in the region after the annexation of the Crimea,” Defense Ministry spokeswoman Asta Galdikaite said Tuesday after an earlier New York Times report which broke the news.

Read more
1

1 NATO states take part in massive ‘Iron Sword’ drills in Lithuania


In its Sunday’s article, the NYT claimed that dozens of US Special Operations Forces are already training troops in the Baltic states which, as the newspaper puts it, are “confronting a looming threat from Russia.” The US contingent is also engaged in enhancing the “Americans’ ability to detect Moscow’s shadowy efforts to destabilize the former Soviet republics.”

While the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said it could not share the details about the US Special Operations Forces in the country, including their numbers and activities, Galdikaite confirmed the presence of US troops on Lithuanian soil.

“US Special Operations Forces presence in Lithuania is one of the deterrents” against Russia, and is another sign of the “long-term close cooperation with the US forces,” Galdikaite said.

The spokeswoman added that the US troops arrived to train local forces following an invitation from Vilnius. Galdikaite added that the US contingent is to remain as the long as the security situation in the region requires it.

The US Embassy in Vilnius also refused to comment on the specifics of US special forces deployment.

“The United States and the Lithuanian armed forces maintain close cooperation, in the presence of conventional land forces, National Guard units and special operations forces. We cannot comment on specific details of the deployment” Embassy’s spokesperson confirmed to local news.

Meanwhile, former Special Forces commander, Darius Jauniškis told lawmakers in Parliament on Tuesday, that “the deployment [US Special Forces] is a tough response to Russia.”

At a meeting with US senators visiting Vilnius last week, Lithuania's President, Dalia Grybauskaite, said the US was a key player in the region.

Read more
NATO force on Russian border ‘not a threat in any way’ – State Department
“Given the changing geopolitical environment, the active role that the United States plays in Europe and the region continues to provide the most reliable security guarantees for the Baltic states and for the whole trans-Atlantic community,” the President's Office said.

Following the Ukrainian coup, the US deployed about 150 troops in each of the three Baltic countries and Poland in April 2014 to fend off the perceived threats from Russia.

The US special forces arrived to Lithuania amid ongoing NATO preparations for the stationing of 4,000 alliance troops in Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, a decision made at the NATO summit in Warsaw.

A quarter of the force would be composed of US troops currently based in Germany, who would relocate to Poland. A 1,000-strong German-led force equipped with tanks would be deployed in Lithuania in February. The remaining 2,000 British and Canadian troops would be stationed in Estonia and Latvia.

In an earlier response, Moscow criticized NATO for its expansion toward Russian borders and denounced it as “a truly aggressive bloc,” adding that it has “every sovereign right to take necessary measures throughout the territory of the Russian Federation.”


https://www.rt.com/news/372602-lithuania-us-special-forces/

 

[I am otm shank]

Russia should insert more FSB agents and Russian special forces among the Russian population in these countries..if worse comes to worse America wins either way by destabilizing even more Russian borders but at least Russia would not have to worry about losing the odds of a conventional war by ameica/uk/nato gaining a foothold in the Baltics or eastern europe