Today, it is already possible to say that the events in Ukraine will lead to a significant transformation in the architecture of regional and international security, including in the military sphere.
The balance of power in Eastern Europe is changing right before our eyes. The so-called enhanced forward presence of NATO goes beyond Poland and the Baltic States. Military units and certain subdivisions of some North Atlantic Alliance countries are now arriving in Romania, and discussions on this issue are underway in Bulgaria. The Slovak Parliament has authorised the deployment of 1,200 NATO troops in the country.
The US armed forces’ presence in Europe is another point. At the moment, 100,000 American troops have already been deployed in Europe, and this is the largest figure since 2005 when they participated in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
At the same time, 65,000 US military personnel are permanently stationed in Europe, and the others stay here on a rotational basis, including as part of "temporary missions" in connection with the Ukraine conflict. In total, the American armed forces are deployed in 19 European countries, including ex-member states of the Warsaw Treaty Organisation which are now NATO members.
The analysis of the activities of foreign policy players through the prism of the Ukraine situation shows that the US has a major stake in the protracted nature of the armed conflict, taking concrete steps to provide military and technical support to Kiev.
US President Joe Biden has signed another order on the transfer of $ 800 million worth of military equipment and weapons to Ukraine. Now, the US package plans to supply the warring country with 800 Stinger portable anti-aircraft systems, 9,000 anti-tank weapons, 100 tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, thousands of small arms, as well as more than 20 million rounds of ammunition, ammunition for grenade launchers and mortars.
This is not the first time Washington has helped its partner over the past month. $350 million was allocated in late February, and in early March, another $200 million was allocated to maintain a constant flow of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.
In total, in just a little more than a year, the Biden administration supported our southern neighbor with financing for military purposes or direct supplies of weapons, ammunition, military and military-technical equipment for $2 billion.
Figuratively speaking, instead of putting out the fire that flared up in Europe, the United States is diligently adding fuel into it, supporting the fire at the expense of ordinary American taxpayers.
In the current situation, the neutral status of Ukraine, the country's refusal to join NATO and other military-political alliances will significantly reduce tensions in Eastern Europe, will contribute to building a fundamentally new configuration of the regional and international security system.
As for Belarus, it also serves our interests: the country borders with three member States of the North Atlantic Alliance, and preserving good-neighborly relations with Ukraine will save us from the need to increase the number of Armed Forces to ensure security on the southern border, as well as the allocation of significant budget funds for defense.