Washington, January 22: The Pentagon is sending more military aid to Eastern Europe, despite the US claim of reducing its resources in the continent to increase more military presence in Asia-Pacific region.
United States is sending as much as USD 100 million to countries like Hungary, Poland, Romania and Lithuania in military aid this year, which is 33 percent more than last year.
The US, who has been relying heavily on Eastern European NATO allies in its war in Afghanistan, is essentially bribing the Eastern European countries to continue fighting the lost war.
Hungary will receive USD 13.3 million, an increase from USD 2.87 million last year, while Poland will receive USD 14 million from USD 2.85 million, Romania increases to USD14.3 million from USD 7.3 million and Lithuania will get USD 12.8 million, up from USD 5.7 million.
The fund surge comes at a time when the US economy is facing a national debt of more than USD 15 trillion after a decade of costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and is preparing for USD 487 billion in defense cuts over the next 10 years.
The US-led invasion of Afghanistan began in 2001 under the pretext of ‘fighting terror,’ toppling the Taliban, and establishing security in the country.
On January 5, US President Barack Obama announced the shift in Washington defense strategy to reduce military spending. The new strategy hints at a reduced US military presence in Europe while making Asia-Pacific a bigger priority.
The United States is concentrating its military might in Asia as it is alarmed over China’s growing navy and arsenal of anti-ship missiles that could threaten America’s military supremacy in the Pacific.
——Agencies