European Reassurance Initiative

While visiting Poland this week, President Obama announced a new "European Reassurance Initiative" to bolster the security of the United States' NATO allies in Europe. According to Obama's remarks to reporters in Warsaw this morning:

Under this effort, and with the support of Congress, the United States will pre-position more equipment in Europe. We will be expanding our exercises and training with allies to increase the readiness of our forces. And I know President Komorowski is a great champion of the effort to modernize the Polish military and we welcome the announcement that he just made about an even greater commitment.

We'll increase the number of American personnel -- Army and Air Force units -- continuously rotating through allied countries in Central and Eastern Europe. And we will be stepping up our partnerships with friends like Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia as they provide for their own defense. I'm calling on Congress to approve up to $1 billion to support this effort, which will be a powerful demonstration of America's unshakeable commitment to our NATO allies.

Poland, to its credit, is a leader in the alliance when it comes to investing in our collective defense. We've seen that again today. Poland's resolve -- and the initiative I'm proposing today -- is a reminder that every ally needs to carry their share and truly invest in the capabilities of the alliance that are needed for the future.

To view a White House fact sheet on the initiative, click here.