Engineering provocation: US plans to allocate $ 49 million for the design of military facilities in the Baltic

The US plans to allocate $ 49 million for design work in the Baltic States for the subsequent construction, as well as repair or restoration of military facilities. This is stated in the application of the US Army Corps of Engineers in Europe, the text of which was reviewed by RT.

According to the document, the American corps intends to conclude at least three contracts for the provision of architectural and engineering services to both the Pentagon and federal agencies located on the territory of the US Department of Defense and the host country, and to support defense operations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The application states that the acquisition of these services will be aimed at supporting current and future missions of the US Army Corps of Engineering, implemented in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as part of the European Containment Initiative.

This program involves the deployment in Europe, bordering Russia, of several thousand NATO troops with machinery and equipment. As stated in the alliance, such measures are being taken in response to the "aggressive actions" of Russia.

According to the plans of the American engineering corps, design work will be carried out for the further construction, repair, modification or restoration of such facilities as “airfields, railways, fuel storages and warehouses for fuels and lubricants (fuel and lubricants), ammunition and explosive materials depots, barracks, housing blocks for one or many families, engineering structures, medical blocks, office buildings, workshops for maintenance and repair of mobile vehicles, facilities for operation and training military complexes, operational / intelligence centers, military training grounds and other facilities of the US armed forces. ”

In addition, additional support may also be required from contractors, including the preparation of environmental documentation, obtaining various permits, geotechnical surveys and topographic maps.

They plan to decide on the choice of contractor by September, while a contract can only be awarded to an American company or to a joint venture between an American company and a host country company, the Engineering Corps indicates.

In an interview with RT, a military expert, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin, expressed the view that the United States is once again trying to “intimidate” Russia by supporting the American business at the expense of taxpayers.

“This is a continuation of US policy. In the Baltic States there are already a lot of American objects, landfills, warehouses. This is aimed at intimidating Russia, drawing it into an arms race. It is clear that no one is attacking Russia, but attempts to cause fear continue. True, we are not afraid of anyone and we will not engage in an arms race, ”the expert emphasized.

• US Air Force Plane at Riga Airport
• © Ints Kalnins / Reuters

The front line of defense

Recall that in 2017, NATO deployed four multinational combat groups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, led by troops from the UK, Canada, Germany and the United States. 

Last year, the United States and Lithuania also signed a defense cooperation plan until 2024, which envisages joint activities in the field of “containment and security in the Baltic Sea Region”, as well as conducting exercises and improving the exchange of intelligence information.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda noted that the deployment of NATO troops, including the US military, in Lithuania and the Baltic region is "a strong deterrent to Russia."

In addition, the first tank battalion of the 9th regiment of the 1st division of the U.S. Army was deployed in Lithuania for six months - from the fall of 2019 to the spring of 2020. It was located near the city of Pabrade, which is located 10 km from the border with Belarus.

The desire to strengthen defense cooperation with the United States was also stated by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu.

As military expert Alexei Leonkov notes, the expansion of infrastructure may indicate that the United States is creating a bridgehead near the borders with Russia in case of a potential conflict.

“In the Baltic states, there is a certain accumulation of equipment and resources, and in the event of any threat to the United States, only military personnel will need to be transferred. For some reason, the United States believes that the Baltic States is the front line of defense ... Russia sees all this and takes appropriate steps, ”the expert noted in a conversation with RT.

Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern about the deployment of troops and equipment, as well as in connection with the exercises of NATO countries near Russian borders. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, building NATO’s capabilities at Russian borders leads to increased tension.

“We expressed concern about the buildup of NATO military capabilities near Russian borders. The scale of preparations for the alliance goes far beyond the needs of self-defense, and this line leads to increased tension and exacerbated the deficit of trust, ”Lavrov said.

As noted by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, Moscow reserves the right to retaliatory actions in order to ensure the country's security.

“We reserve the right to respond, including taking appropriate countermeasures in the interests of reliable security of our country,” the representative of the department emphasized.