Congress wants more troops in Europe as war in Ukraine drags on

Congress is pushing for more U.S. soldiers in Europe in its fiscal 2023 draft defense policy bills as the Russian invasion of Ukraine grinds on into its fifth month.

The move aligns with President Joe Biden’s June 29 remarks at the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, where he said the U.S. will establish a permanent base in Poland and will also send two additional F-35 fighter jet squadrons to the UK as well as more air defense, among other capabilities, to Italy and Germany.

The recently released House Armed Services Committee’s chairman’s mark of the FY23 defense authorization act says the “further invasion of Ukraine presents a sea change to the security environment in Europe that requires a long-term shift in the force posture of the United States and its allies, in order to ensure the maintenance of collective deterrence.”

It’s “necessary” for the U.S. to establish additional permanent stations and continuous rotational forces along Europe’s eastern flank, the mark adds.

According to lawmakers, the U.S. should not rely on allied forces to make future force posture enhancements in Europe and should not plan to “revert” to the force levels and positioning it had in Europe prior to Russia’s invasion.

Before Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, the Army had begun drawing troops and equipment out of Europe. After that annexation, the U.S. sent troops and equipment back into Europe along with an influx of funding to support the renewed posture. This included the deployment of a heel-to-toe rotational Armored Brigade Combat Team and a Combat Aviation Brigade.

Since then, the Army has also activated V Corps with a forward headquarters in Poland that controls specific operations, activities and initiatives and established a Multidomain Task Force and a new Theater Fires Command.

The U.S. is at the “front edge” of the NATO alliance as part of the response to the Russian invasion and has deployed a large number of troops in Poland and elsewhere in eastern Europe, Kevin Marcus, the deputy chief of staff and director of strategy, plans and policy at U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said at Eurosatory, a defense exhibition held in Paris, France, earlier this month.