FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The departure of the "Black Jack" Brigade, intended to bolster Poland's defenses, has been abruptly halted. The Americans have begun to cut rotations for the 15,000 troops that Biden sent to Europe in 2022, immediately after Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas told public radio LRT today that the Pentagon has stopped the rotation of US troops in Europe. In parallel, specialized media such as “Stars and Stripes”, “Military Times” and “Wall Street Journal” report that the US administration has suspended the deployment of the “Black Jack” armored brigade to the European continent.
The two developments are considered linked, although there is still no official position from Washington.
The issue brings to mind repeated statements by Donald Trump, who has previously warned that he could withdraw thousands of US troops from Germany, Italy and Spain. However, the current situation appears more complex.
Currently, about 85,000 American soldiers are deployed in Europe. Of these, 15,000 to 20,000 were deployed during the presidency of Joe Biden, immediately after the launch of Russian aggression against Ukraine. These forces operate on temporary missions and are periodically replaced through a rotation system.
This included the “Second Armored Brigade Combat Team, First Cavalry Division”, known as “Black Jack”, with about 4,000 personnel. The unit had assembled on May 1 at Fort Hood base in Texas and was expected to depart for Poland and other countries on NATO’s eastern flank for a nine-month mission.
According to reports, the mission was suspended on May 13, although some of the military equipment and vehicles had already left for Europe.
The Pentagon had begun slowing the pace of rotations since October of last year, not replacing the troops of a brigade deployed in Romania.
This mechanism could also affect the American presence in Germany, as many of the support operations for NATO's eastern flank pass through German territory.
The greatest concern remains for countries near the border with Russia and Ukraine. For this reason, the first public alarm came from the Lithuanian government.
A day earlier, Minister Kaunas officially stated that Lithuania “has never allowed the use of its air bases for combat operations.” The statement came after publications in Russian media suggested that the Baltic countries were assisting Ukrainian operations with drones against targets on Russian territory.
According to Kaunas, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a disinformation campaign aimed at increasing tensions between the Baltic states and other NATO states on the eastern flank. / Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Corriere Della Sera"
Pergjigja eshte e thjesht, kjo brigadë dislokohet në Lindjen e Mesme.