an article by Rae Street, published in http://www.spokesmanbooks.com/Spokesman/PDF/ENDINFO12.pdf

Defender 2020 is described by the U.S.Army Europe as ‘the deployment of a division-size combat-credible force from the United States in Europe, the drawing of equipment and the movement of personnel and equipment across the theater to various training areas.’ Actually this will be the largest US military deployment in 25 years. There will some 36,000 personnel –including 25,000 from the U.S. and units from Britain – across Germany,Poland and the Baltic States of Estonia,Latvia and Lithuania. In other words the exercises will take place right up to the Russian border.

And it is lengthy. The drills will take place over five months, but mainly in April and May. Yet the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg,said that Defender Europe is not directed at any particular country! But no matter what the NATO leaders say, Defender Europe must be directed at Russia. The NATO exercise is all about moving troops quickly to counter an invasion. So that must be a Russian invasion, but there is no evidence that Russia is about to invade the Baltic states. The Russians have made it clear that they will not ignore this and will respond to what it perceives as threats to its national security.

At the same time, the U.S. is deploying what it calls ‘low yield’ W76-2 warheads on its nuclear armed submarines as part of a strategy to counter moves, says US UnderSecretary of Defense, John Rood, by‘potential adversaries, like Russia’. A new arms race has been born. Allof this is going to escalate hostilitieswith Russia. What is needed is a de-escalation and disarmament, notre-armament. NATO, in the main dominated byUS nuclear armed foreign policies, is adangerous force not only in Europe,but across the world. We should beopening up the debate on its value andthe dangers it represents.