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NATO confirms it is planning to build an installation for the American army in Poland

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NATO confirmed it is planning to build a storage installation for American military equipment in Poland in a statement on Saturday.  

NATO is reinforcing its presence in the East since Crimea was annexed by Russia, which led to the Ukraine crisis. 

The Wall Street Journal says this installation, which will cost 260 million dollars, will be located in Powidz (200 km west of Warsaw). It will house armoured vehicles, ammunition and weapons for one brigade. 

Work on the installation should start this year and is expected to take two years, according to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. A NATO official confirmed the story when speaking to AFP. 

NATO increased defences along its Eastern border after Crimea was annexed by Russia, which led to the Ukraine conflict. 

Tactical units have been deployed in the three Baltic states and Poland. NATO is taking measures to increase its reaction times when problems arise. 

The idea behind the practise of “pre-positioning” equipment in strategic places is to make the deployment of resources more efficient during times of crisis. 

Mr Stoltenberg told the Wall Street Journal that the new installation would “support the American presence in Poland”. 

The Polish government has reinforced its military links with the United States, by signing a contract for twenty American mobile HIMARS rocket-launchers for 414 million dollars last month. In March 2018, Poland bought the American Patriot anti-missile system for 4.75 billion dollars (3.8 billion euros) to increase its anti-air defences.  

The Polish conservative government is working closely with Washington to get an American base set up in Poland. More than 5,000 American soldiers are already stationed there on rotation as part of NATO operations. 

Sarah Johansson

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