Biden announces new military deployments across Europe 

President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that the U.S. will ramp up its military deployments across Europe in the next few months. 

“Today I'm announcing the United States will enhance our force posture in Europe to respond to the changed security environment, as well as strengthening our collective security," Biden said in a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Madrid.

“Together with our allies, we're gonna make sure that NATO is ready to meet threats from all directions, across every domain — land, air and the sea," he added.

According to a White House fact sheet, the Biden administration plans to add more bases, assets, and soldiers in Poland, Romania, the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Baltics.  

A permanent headquarters for the U.S. 5th Army Corps will be established in Poland, creating the first permanent base for U.S. forces on NATO’s eastern flank. The U.S. will station 5,000 troops in Romania and increase rotational deployments in the Baltics. Two F-35 fighter jet squadrons will be sent to the U.K. 

Germany will receive an air defense artillery brigade and a short-range air defense battalion. Italy will also receive a short-range air defense battery. 

The U.S. is working with Spain to increase the number of destroyer warships stationed at its Naval Station Rota from four to six vessels.  

"All of these combat-credible forces and enablers are supported by significant investments in the long-term U.S. presence in Europe," the White House wrote in a statement.

The increased deployments comes as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24. 

Despite not being directly involved in the war and stating that it will not deploy troops into the war-torn country, the U.S. has said it will get involved if Russia attacks a fellow NATO country. 

“Putin was looking for the Finland-isation of Europe,” Biden said. “You’re gonna get the NATO-isation of Europe. And that’s exactly what he didn’t want, but exactly what needs to be done to guarantee security for Europe,” Biden added.

There are more than 100,000 U.S. service members currently deployed across Europe, 20,000 more than the number of troops stationed before the invasion of Ukraine begun. 

“We’re stepping up, proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been and it’s important as it ever has been,” Biden said.