US troops landed in Poland amid rising Russia-Ukraine tensions

A plane carrying US troops landed in Poland on Sunday, a Reuters witness said, as Washington reinforced NATO allies in Eastern Europe in the context Russian build an army on Ukraineof the border.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday sent nearly 3,000 more troops to Poland and Romania, as Washington moved to reassure confused NATO allies.

The Pentagon says about 1,700 service members, mostly from the 82nd Airborne Division, will deploy from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Poland.

Sunday’s arrival of the C17 aircraft followed the plane carrying the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, US Army Major General Christopher Donahue, which landed at Rzeszow-Jasionka airfield on Saturday, along with several aircraft with U.S. military equipment and an “assault group. ”

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It was not immediately clear how many troops arrived, but one C17 was “designed to drop 102 paratroopers and their equipment,” according to the US Air Force’s website.

“Our national contribution in Poland shows our solidarity with all our allies here in Europe and it is clear that in this uncertain time we know that we are together. each other stronger,” Donahue said on Sunday.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said minutes after the plane landed that this was the first group of US troops “from an elite unit”.

. .. More planes will land in the coming hours. The soldiers will be operating in the southeastern part of our country,” he added.

Russia has denied plans to invade Ukraine but has deployed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border and says it may take unspecified military measures if its demands are not met, including NATO’s promise never to recognize Ukraine.

(Reporting by Anna Koper and Kuba Stezycki; Editing by Nick Macfie)