UK sends 2600 troops to Eastern Europe in major NATO exercise

MORE than 2500 UK troops will spearhead a major NATO exercise in eastern Europe in the next two months even as Donald Trump is inaugurated as the next US President.

The UK will deploy over 2600 troops and 730 vehicles throughout January and February as part of NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Dart 25.

The exercise is to test the deployment capabilities of the new Allied Reaction Force, intended to rapidly reinforce NATO’s eastern flank, the UK government says.

But Trump is due to be inaugurated as US President on January 20 and is likely to instigate changes in US foreign policy. He has already openly talked about annexing Greenland and the Panama Canal.

The UK’s 1st Division will lead all of NATO’s land forces in the exercise which will involve

thousands of troops from 10 NATO member countries operating across Romania and Bulgaria.

UK Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard says they want to become NATO’s leading European nation.

“Exercise Steadfast Dart demonstrates our unshakeable commitment to NATO and highlights the UK’s key leadership role in the Alliance,” he says.

“As we approach the three-year anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, we must continue to strengthen our collective defences to deter (Russian President Vladimir) Putin effectively.”

The UK government says the exercise will improve co-ordination between NATO allies and enable them to maintain a force in a state of high-readiness forces that can operate across land, air, and sea.

The UK will send 730 vehicles to Eastern Europe for two exercises before they return at the end of February.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rugge recently asked member nations to ramp up defence spending.

Lithuania has announced it will spend 3 to 3.5 per cent of its GDP on defence, build an artillery shell factory and host up to 4800 NATO troops by 2027.

“This will significantly strengthen our deterrence and our defence on the eastern flank of our alliance,” Rutte said.