NATO Secretary General welcomes US announcement to strengthen military presence in Europe
Today, Secretary of Defence Ash Carter announced that the US plans to increase significantly its military presence in Europe.
I strongly welcome this proposal.
The budget request will, if approved, lead to a quadrupling of funding to 3.4 billion US dollars in 2017 for the US force posture in Europe.
This will fund more rotational US forces, more training and exercises. More prepositioning, war fighting gear and infrastructure.
This is a clear sign of the enduring commitment by the United States to European security.
It will be a timely and significant contribution to NATO’s deterrence, and collective defence.
This proposal is a vivid demonstration of the strength of our transatlantic bond.