US to deploy heavy weapons and armoured vehicles to NATO in Central and Eastern Europe

US President Barack Obama plans to beef up the deployment of heavy weapons and armoured vehicles to NATO member countries in Central and Eastern Europe, The New York Times has reported.
The paper said that, according to administration officials, the move is designed to deter Russia from aggression in the region.
Officials have said the White House plans to pay for the additional hardware with a budget request of over USD 3.4 billion for military spending in Europe next year, more than four times the current budget.
Reports say the Russian Embassy in Washington blasted the Obama administration on Tuesday for its new plans to ship billions of dollars in armoured vehicles, heavy weapons, and other military equipment to NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe.
“In our view these steps by U.S. and NATO are destabilizing and detrimental to the European security,” the embassy said in a statement to Foreign Policy. “There should be no doubt that Russia under any circumstances will be able to defend its citizens and national security interests.”