WARSAW (WNI) — U.S. F-15 fighter jets have arrived in Poland as the first contingent of American and British forces are sent in to help bolster NATO’s Eastern flank.
Poland, which shares a border with Belarus and Ukraine, is among the NATO allies seeking additional support as Russian troops move towards its neighbour.
With an estimated 135,000 Russian troops within close proximity to Ukraine’s borders, there has been heightened tension in Eastern Europe surrounding a potential invasion within the coming days.
Following meetings between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Mateusz Morawiecki this week, an additional 350 British marines are set to be deployed to Poland. Royal Marines started arriving Thursday morning, with further forces on their way in the days ahead.
The U.S. also announced this week an additional 1700 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division would be deployed to Poland. This is alongside the arrival of F-15s today from the 48th Fighter Wing stationed at the Royal Air Force Lakenheath base in the U.K.
Revealing in an interview last night on NBC, President Biden urged American citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. Poland could see as much as 1 million refugees fleeing towards its border should a Russian invasion take place according to analysts.
However, despite the heightened tensions, Russia has so far maintained that it has no plan to invade, and will withdraw its forces from Belarus once exercises are completed.
