[ZERO] Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark Milley in Tuesday testimony before the House Armed Services Committee told Congressional leaders that the US should establish permanent military bases in Eastern Europe in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He cited that allies Romania, Poland and Baltic countries remain "very willing" to host US bases, and that "they'll build them, they'll pay for them." He testified alongside Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. "My advice would be to create permanent bases, but don’t permanently station," Milley said.
He explained that this wouldn't necessitate permanently deployed forces, but with the same benefits: "You get the effect of permanence by rotational forces," the top general said.
Among other highlights in the House testimony was his being questioned over whether Vladimir Putin could have been deterred ahead of the Feb.24 invasion of Ukraine, short of direct US-Russia clash. He said: