A convoy of US troops and military equipment crossed the border into
Poland on Thursday, having arrived earlier in the week in Bremerhaven,
Germany.
Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo welcomed US troops to her country at a formal ceremony Saturday, saying it was a "great day" that would help ensure Poland's security. Some 4,000 US soldiers have been deployed as part of troop rotations to Europe that the Pentagon has said are intended to bolster ties with NATO allies and send a clear message to Russia.
Russia has criticized the continuous deployments as a threat to Russian security.
"It's
a great day today when we can welcome, here in Zagan, American soldiers
who represent the best, the greatest army in the world," Szydlo said at
the ceremony in the snowy western town of Zagan.
Speaking after the Polish leader, Paul
Jones, the US ambassador to Poland, said the troops arriving in Poland
were "America's most capable force," embodying an "iron-clad commitment"
to defend NATO allies.
Polish
Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said the US troops would help
ensure "freedom, independence and peace in Europe and the whole world"
and that Poland was proud of "joint efforts that guarantee the security
of Europe and of the eastern flanks of NATO."
American
soldiers "stand united on Polish soil to deter and defend," said Maj.
Gen. Timothy McGuire, deputy commander of US Land Forces in Europe. He
added that the troops' arrival was a "concrete sign of the continued US
commitment to the defense of Poland and the NATO alliance."
The
3rd Armored Combat Brigade Team of the 4th Infantry Division "is a
highly capable and ready force with the best equipment, leadership and
training of any combat force in the world," he said.
To
maintain combat readiness, the soldiers will conduct "realistic
exercises" with allies in locations across Poland and Europe, McGuire
added.
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