Donald Trump has announced the United States will deploy an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, just days after the Pentagon cancelled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to the NATO state. The move comes amid escalating nuclear threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Unexpected Announcement
The announcement by Trump appeared to take his own defence department by surprise. It followed days of military exercises by Russia and its ally Belarus, both of which share borders with Poland. The deployment is seen as a reassurance to Poland and neighbouring NATO members Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
Putin's Nuclear Posturing
The decision came hours after Putin took personal command of massive nuclear war games involving Russia and Belarus. In a statement, Putin said: "I have already noted and will emphasise again that the use of such nuclear weapons is an extreme, exceptional measure to ensure the national security of our states." However, he added: "At the same time, given the growing tensions in the world and the emergence of new threats and risks, our nuclear triad, as before, must serve as a reliable guarantor of the sovereignty of Russia and Belarus."
This is a developing story. More updates will follow as details emerge.
