WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The tanks and other vehicles will be unloaded at the north German port of Bremerhaven and will then be shipped by rail into Poland, where they will be deployed as part of the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI), Cook said.
"Tanks [and] trucks [are] scheduled to arrive in Europe this week from the Third Armored Brigade [of the] Fourth Infantry Division from Fort Carson [in] Colorado, Cook announced.
The Defense Department asked for and received $1.7 billion in funding for the ERI military build-up in Europe in its fiscal year 2017 budget.
NATO currently plans to deploy 4,000 troops in the Baltic region by May 2017.
Russia has repeatedly stated that amassing troops and equipment on its borders constitute provocative acts that can destabilize the region and the world.
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