There has been something of a standoff between the west and Russia for the past several months. After openly grabbing Crimea Putin has been playing crafty games of more or less covertly supporting Ukrainian separatist movements, much in the same way that the US and USSR did in third world countries back in the day. The west has tried to counter with economic sanctions which most everybody is now admitting, have no deterrent effect. There are now active western plans for boots on the ground.
Nato to create high-readiness force to counter Russian threat
Nato is to create a 4,000-strong "spearhead" high-readiness force that can be deployed rapidly in eastern Europe and the Baltic states to help protect member nations against potential Russian aggression, according to Nato officials.
Leaders from the 28 Nato countries are expected to approve the plan at the alliance's summit in Wales when the Ukraine crisis tops the agenda on Friday.
The Nato secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said the force, drawn on rotational basis from Nato allies, could be in action at "very, very short notice".
Rasmussen described it as a mixture of regular troops and special forces that could "travel light but strike hard". It would be supported by air and naval forces as needed.
He declined to say how many troops would be engaged but Nato officials said it would number around 4,000 and would be expected to deploy to any alliance member country within 48 hours..
This looks like something that is going to get the green light this week. It is primarily designed to calm the anxieties of Poland, the Baltic republics, and Nato members in the Balkans. There is not a current proposal to extend NATO into Ukraine. However, there is another scheme in the works for that.
A Nato spokeswoman said the spearhead force is completely separate from a 10,000-strong British-led joint expeditionary force that is also being proposed. The spearhead group is a purely Nato concept whereas the British expeditionary force, which would be made up of troops from seven nations, could operate with the European Union and other multilateral organisations. The British plan would also have a wider remit, engaged in peacekeeping as well as crisis management.
But a lot of crossover is inevitable as only half-a-dozen of the 28 member Nato countries have the capability to contribute significant military forces. British forces would almost certainly take part in the spearhead group.
The summit will see calls led by US for increased defence spending to confront the Russian threat.
Huffington Post has a bit more detail on that.
Seven NATO allies plan to create a new rapid reaction force of at least 10,000 soldiers as part of plans to boost NATO defenses in response to Russia's intervention in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
The aim is to create a division-sized joint expeditionary force for rapid deployment and regular exercises. The British-led force would include air and naval units as well as ground troops, the newspaper said.
Countries involved include Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Norway and the Netherlands. Canada has also expressed an interest in taking part, it said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to announce the creation of the force next week, coinciding with the Sept. 4-5 NATO summit in Wales.
The British never seem able to resist a chance to lead the charge of the Light Brigade.
The Obama administration appears to be following its notions of getting Europeans to spend more money and person power on European defense. Both of these plans have yet to be approved much less implemented. However, there is definitely a change in the atmosphere and the sound of rattling sabers is getting louder.