US general says American troops staying in Baltics, Poland through 2015

VILNIUS, Lithuania – A top U.S. military commander in Europe says U.S. troops will remain in the three Baltic countries and Poland through next year or longer to “deter Russian aggression.”

In an interview published Monday, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, told the Baltic News Service that Russia was trying to intimidate its neighbours with military exercises near their borders and air space.

The U.S. has temporarily deployed hundreds of troops in NATO members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in the wake of the Russian intervention in Ukraine.

Hodges, who was visiting Lithuania on Sunday, said U.S. forces had rotations planned through next year and would “be here for as long as necessary to assure all of our allies and to deter Russian aggression.”