Germany mulling E Europe military support

Germany is reportedly considering offering military support to some eastern European members of the Western military alliance of NATO.

News magazine Der Spiegel reported at the weekend that Berlin was doing so in response to, what it referred to as, Russia’s “seizure” of Crimea.

The periodical said the German Defence Ministry was ready to make available up to six aircraft for a strengthened air patrolling mission in parts of eastern Europe. The number of NATO aircraft would be at least doubled, said the magazine.

Tensions between the Western powers and Moscow heightened after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, in which nearly 97 percent of voters in Crimea said yes to reunion with Russia.

On March 21, President Putin signed into law documents that officially made the Black Sea peninsula part of the Russian territory despite condemnation from the West and the new Ukrainian government.

The move sparked angry reactions from the United States and the European Union, both imposing punitive measures against a number of Russian officials and authorities in Crimea.