US could ‘re-examine’ military presence in Europe: Pentagon

Russia’s annexation of Crimea may cause an increase in US military presence in Europe, which has steadily declined since the end of the Cold War, a Pentagon official said on Tuesday.

“While we do not seek confrontation with Russia, its actions in Europe and Eurasia may require the United States to re-examine our force posture in Europe and our requirement for future deployments, exercises, and training in the region,” US Assistant Secretary of Defense Derek Chollet said.

“Russia’s unlawful military intervention in Ukraine challenges our vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace,” Chollet said, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee.

“It changes Europe’s security landscape. It causes instability on NATO’s borders. And it is a challenge to the international order.”

Ukraine’s Crimea region rejoined Russia last month after residents in the peninsula voted in a referendum to break away from Ukraine.

Despite Pentagon’s threat that it would “re-examine” it force in Europe, critics believe it’s unlikely that the Defense Secretary can boost its presence in the East as it already faces budget cuts and seeking to redeploy part of its resources to the Asia Pacific region as part of a so-called pivot strategy.

About 67,000 US military members are currently stationed on the European continent, mainly in Germany (40,000), Italy (11,000) and Britain (9,500). When the Soviet Union fell in late 1991, the total presence stood at 285,000.

Tension between Washington and Moscow is escalating as pro-Russian protesters in Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv declared independence from Ukraine on Monday following a same move by pro-Russian residents in Donetsk.

The seizure of local administration buildings in Donetsk and Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine was “very concerning,” Chollet said, adding that Washington did not believe them to be “spontaneous demonstrations.”