Expert: billions of US Dollars invested in strengthening NATO eastern flank
Based on the current fiscal year, the United States has allocated about $4-5bn to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank – as stated by Vladimir Vasiliev, senior researcher at the Institute for the US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, during his talk with Belarus 1 TV channel
The political expert noted that the strategy to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO began relatively long ago, after the events of 2014.
“The funds which were allocated by the United States were measured in billions of US Dollars. Based on the current financial year, they stand at about $4-5 billion. Moreover, NATO conducts regular exercises. Earlier, information appeared that on May 16th, the Siil (Hedgehog) exercise had already begun in Estonia, which will be held until June 3rd, involving 15,000 Estonian servicemen, alongside military contingents from ten other NATO countries, the main of which are the United States,” he underlined.
The senior researcher at the Institute for the US and Canadian Studies believes that this concentration of troops cannot be called an exercise. The expert added that these are sufficiently mobilised units that at any moment can support the entry of NATO troops into the western regions of Ukraine.
“These servicemen can provide protection and logistical support for huge weapons systems or consignments of weapons, equipment, ammunition that the United States supplies to Ukraine,” resumed Mr. Vasiliev.
