In a Slap at Russia, US Troops Head to Poland

Europe is welcoming the largest US military deployment in the region since the Cold War. Some 87 tanks, 144 armored vehicles, and 4,000 soldiers are expected to reach Poland in the coming days, with many already in place, before they're spread across Poland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as part of a NATO commitment in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine, reports the Guardian. Denmark, Spain, Norway, Poland, and the UK are also contributing to the force, which will conduct military exercises and rotate every nine months as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, reports the BBC.

But with a week before Donald Trump becomes president, the future of the force remains unclear. Trump has suggested he may not stick to NATO guidelines to defend all members. He also desires a warmer relationship with Russia than President Obama allowed, and the Kremlin has called the deployment a threat to its national security. A Russian security official tells Sputnik that "Trump and his new military advisers may well review [these] tactics," which he described as a "PR attack." The subject will likely come up Thursday during a Senate confirmation hearing for Trump's pick for secretary of defense, James Mattis. (More NATO stories.)