Obama reportedly plans to arm Eastern Europe to check expansionist Russia

President Obama is asking Congress to authorize more than $3.4 billion to send heavy weapons, armored vehicles, and other military equipment to NATO countries in Eastern and Central Europe, The New York Times reports, citing "several officials" in the Obama administration. That's a sharp increase over the current U.S. military budget for Europe, $789 million, and the ramping up of military aid is aimed mostly at sending a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his expansionist foreign policy.

"This is not a response to something that happened last Tuesday," a senior administration official told The New York Times. "This is a longer-term response to a changed security environment in Europe. This reflects a new situation, where Russia has become a more difficult actor." Russia is still backing pro-Moscow rebels in Ukraine, but the new U.S. munitions will go to countries that belong to NATO, like Hungary, Romania, and the Baltic states. Southern Europe will also get some of the new U.S. equipment to help in the fight against the Islamic State. Still, the main goal is warning expansionist Russia, officials tell the newspaper.

"This is a really big deal, and the Russians are going to have a cow," former Pentagon official Evelyn N. Farkas tells The Times "It's a huge sign of commitment to deterring Russia, and to strengthening our alliance and our partnership with countries like Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia." The budget request is for fiscal 2017.

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