The increase in United States forces in Europe announced by president Joe Biden on Wednesday poses no risk of a military escalation, but NATO must nonetheless be "ready", according to Italy's premier Mario Draghi.
"We need to be ready, but right now I don't see any risk of an escalation," Draghi told reporters at the two-day NATO summit being held in Madrid in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Arriving at the summit, Biden said the US will increase its military forces across Europe with more land, sea and air deployments and will station a brigade of 3,000 combat troops in Romania, two squadrons of F-35 fighters in the UK and two navy destroyers in Spain.
The US fifth army corps will set up a permanent base in Poland, more troops will be committed to the Baltic states and extra air defence systems will be stationed in Germany and Italy, Biden stated.
