ROZVADOV, Czech Republic, Feb 15 (Reuters) – The primary a part of a deliberate contingent of two,000 U.S. troops and lots of of automobiles entered the Czech Republic from Germany on Tuesday en route eastwards to Slovakia for NATO’s Saber Strike army drills, a Reuters witness stated.
Slovakia borders Ukraine to the east however the bi-annual drills, spanning seven international locations together with the Baltics, Poland, Czech Republic and Germany, have lengthy been deliberate and are usually not associated to Ukraine’s present stand-off with Russian armed forces massed close to its borders, the Slovak Defence Ministry stated.
It stated round 2,000 U.S. troops with round 600 items of apparatus would participate within the workout routines together with almost 1,300 Slovak troopers within the first two weeks of March.
The Slovak a part of the drills will probably be held across the metropolis of Zvolen, in central Slovakia over 300 km (190 miles) by street from the Ukraine border, the ministry has stated. The troops are to return to their German bases after finishing the workout routines.
Slovakia hosts no overseas NATO troops however International Minister Jaroslav Nad stated on Tuesday it has begun contemplating the potential of stationing a NATO unit as a part of efforts to strengthen NATO’s japanese flank amidst the Ukraine disaster.
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Reporting by Jiri Skacel, writing by Jan Lopatka, enhancing by Mark Heinrich
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.