US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
has signed a new defense agreement with Poland. Under which US troops will be
deployed from Germany to Poland.
The deal would bring the number
of US military personnel in Poland to about 5,500. Polish Defence Minister
Mariusz Blazek said the number could be increased to 20,000 immediately if a
threat was justified.
US President Donald Trump has
previously accused Germany of not cooperating properly with NATO. But the US
move has raised concerns among NATO allies about possible Russian expansion.
The agreement, called the
Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), was signed by the US Secretary
of State and the Polish Secretary of Defence on Saturday. Polish President
Andrzej Duda said at the signing ceremony. "It's a broad assurance, an
assurance that our soldiers will stand hand in hand in the event of any
danger."
"It will also strengthen the
security of other countries in our region of Europe," he added. There are
currently about 4,500 US troops stationed in Poland, and a thousand more will
be deployed under the new agreement. The US military's Corps Five headquarters
will also be moved from Germany to Poland under the agreement.
Last month, the United States confirmed that there were more than 38,000
troops in Germany. About 12,000 soldiers will be evacuated. The United States has called it a strategic
re-deployment of troops. About 6,400 troops are being sent home, while others
will be sent to Poland, Italy and Belgium. President Trump says the move is due to Germany's failure to meet NATO
defense spending targets.
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