'We're stepping up': Joe Biden announces US military air, sea, land reinforcements in Europe

Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday (June 29) announced the US reinforcements of NATO forces in Europe at a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The leaders of NATO nations have gathered in the Spanish capital, Madrid, for a summit to discuss the transatlantic ties.

During the meeting with Stoltenberg, Biden announced that the US will enhance its "force posture" in Europe, consisting of US military air, sea and land reinforcements on the continent in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden also said that the alliance is needed more today "than it ever has been."

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"We mean it when we say an attack against one is an attack against all," he told reporters at the start of a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

"We're sending an unmistakable message ... that NATO is strong, united and the steps we're taking during this summit are going to further augment our collective strength."

"Together with our allies we're going to make sure that NATO is ready to meet the threats from all directions across every domain,"Bidensaid.

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Referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Biden said that in a moment when Russian President Vladimir Putin has shattered peace in Europe and attacked the "very, very tenets of rule-based order", the United States and our allies aregoing to step up.

"We're stepping up, proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been and it's important as it ever has been."

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Biden said the extra forces included:

• Boosting the fleet of US naval destroyers from four to six in Rota, Spain.
• A permanent headquarters in Poland of the 5th Army Corps.
• An "additional rotational brigade" in Romania, consisting of "3,000 fighters and another 2,000 personnel combat team."
• Enhanced rotational deployments in the Baltic countries.
• Two additional squadrons of the F-35 stealth plane to Britain.
• "Additional air defence and other capabilities in Germany and in Italy."

(With inputs from agencies)

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