NATO to boost military presence in Poland: Warsaw

"The strengthening of NATO's presence (in Poland), also military presence, has become a fact and will be visible in the coming days, weeks," Tusk said on Saturday in the capital Warsaw.
 
    He added, "The discussion is not about if, but rather about the scale, pace and some technical aspects of strengthening Poland's security."
 
Last month, the United States strengthened its presence in Poland by increasing its military exercises and sending 12 F-16 fighter jets along with 300 personnel to the country.
 
The US is also determined to install its missile shield in the eastern European country by 2018.
 
On April 1-2, NATO foreign ministers held meetings in Brussels to discuss steps to reinforce military presence in member states in Eastern Europe following Crimea’s reunification with Russia.
 
The steps include measures such as sending NATO soldiers and equipment to allies and holding more exercises in the region.
 
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on NATO to explain its recently announced plans to intensify activities in Eastern Europe.
 
    “We have posed these questions to the North Atlantic Alliance. We are expecting not just any answer but an answer fully respectful of the rules we have coordinated,” Lavrov said.
 
Tensions between Western powers and Moscow heightened after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, in which 96.8 percent of the participants voted for rejoining Russia.
 
Crimea’s referendum sparked angry reactions from the United States and the European Union, both imposing sanctions against a number of Russian officials and authorities in Crimea.