NATO Troops Deploy in Lithuania, Underscoring Commitment to Defense
Germany and NATO on Tuesday underscored their commitment to beefing up the defense of eastern Europe’s border with Russia as the first of four new battalions under the North Atlantic alliance’s banner arrived in Lithuania. In moves agreed last year under former U.S. President Barack Obama, NATO is expanding its presence in the region to levels unprecedented since the Cold War, prompted by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and accusations — denied by Moscow — that it is supporting a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. The German-led battle group in Lithuania will be joined this year by a U.S-led deployment in …