NATO troops training in Estonia
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A combat group of NATO forces deployed in Estonia begins joint drills to carry out combat operations in winter conditions.
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NATO forces with Estonian soldiers in Estonia February 2019
A combat group of NATO forces deployed in Estonia begins joint drills with the Estonian army to conduct combat operations in winter conditions.
Military personnel from Britain and France as well as the 1st infantry Brigade of the Estonian Defense Forces will participate in the Winter drills.
The Commander of the Estonian 1st Infantry Brigade, Colonel Andros Merilo, said the drills aim to develop the skills of the British, French, and Estonian soldiers to sharpen combat skills and to train them in using heavy military equipment in winter conditions, in addition to planning and effective implementation of offensive and defensive operations.
Russia sends 12 Pantsir S-1 anti-aircraft missile systems to Belarus
In parallel, Russia announced the dispatch of 12 Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile systems to Belarus.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the systems would be transferred to designated areas as part of the unified regional air defense system of Belarus and Russia.
Biden will move troops to Eastern Europe, Ukraine dismisses US claims
Earlier today, Joe Biden announced his plans to move US troops to Eastern European and NATO countries “in the near term.”
Although “not too many” US troops, Biden emphasized in remarks to reporters at Joint Base Andrew after returning from his trip to Pennsylvania.
Recently, 8,500 US troops have been placed on "heightened preparedness to deploy" to assist NATO if necessary, the Pentagon stated earlier.
It is worth noting that Biden had previously stated earlier on Tuesday that he does not foresee US troops moving into Ukraine.
That said, one can't help but ask - why is the United States so eager for war?
The Russian situation
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that negotiations with the West on security guarantees are not over yet and Russia will not allow anyone to ignore its interests, maintaining that the West will not be able to evade the implementation of Moscow's conditions regarding the principle of indivisible security.
He added that the constructive points in the Western response to the security guarantees initiative depend on previous Russian proposals. He warned that Russia will take retaliatory measures in case no agreement is reached with the West on the principles of ensuring security in Europe.
He pointed out that he does not rule out the presence of sides who want to drag Kyiv to war with Moscow, at a time when the former does not control part of its forces, stressing that the war will not erupt if this depends on Russia.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
