As Ukraine war drags on, Pentagon makes long-term plans for Europe

The open-ended war in Ukraine has thrown the Pentagon’s long-term planning into question, with senior U.S. defense officials expected to revamp how they deploy military forces in Eastern Europe and the Baltics amid deepening anxiety over Russia’s broader ambitions.

Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that he favors creating permanent bases for U.S. troops in the region but to deploy personnel there rotationally, “so you get the effect of permanence” at a lesser cost because expenses such as family housing and schools are not involved.