WASHINGTON: The United States would review its permanent troop deployments in Europe to prevent further Ukraine like encroachments by Russia, the White House said on Tuesday.

But the statement which coincided with President Barack Obama’s four-day visit to Europe fell short of a firm commitment to put troops on the ground that Poland and some of its neighbours had sought.

The demand for the deployment of a large US force in Eastern Europe followed the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula by Russia earlier this year.

Poland, which spent much of its history under Russian domination, leads the initiative and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said on Tuesday that the US pledge on military support was a good start.

In a fact-sheet issued in Washington, the White House said that President Obama has asked Congress to support a European Reassurance Initiative of up to $1 billion to beef up US military presence in Europe.

The fund will be used to increase military exercises, training, and rotational presence across Europe, especially in the areas bordering Russia.

Many of the US air and ground forces participating in these activities would rotate from the United States.

The US also plans to deploy detachments of its military planners to augment the capability of the allied forces to design and host a broad range of training and exercise opportunities.

The US already has a similar arrangement with Poland.

Washington also plans to increase the responsiveness of US forces to reinforce Nato by exploring initiatives such as the prepositioning of equipment and improvements to other reception facilities and infrastructure in Europe.

The Pentagon plans also to increase participation by the US Navy in Nato naval force deployments, including more persistent deployments to the Black and Baltic seas.

The pentagon also plans to build the military capacity of its partners and close friends in the regions such as Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine so they can better work alongside the United States and Nato, as well as provide for their own defence.

“The United States stands by its allies, as they have stood by us. We will continue to take actions that increase the capability, readiness, and responsiveness of Nato forces to address any threat and that aid in deterring further destabilising activities,” the White House said.

This initiative will build on existing tools and authorities and will be included in the Department of Defence’s 2015 Overseas Contingency Operations’ budget request to Congress.

“We are (also) reviewing our force presence in Europe in light of the new security challenges on the continent,” the White House said.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2014