Brussels, October 29 (RHC)-- The United States and its allies are said to be increasing troops stationed in countries bordering Russia by deploying up to 4,000 more forces. Quoting anonymous U.S. officials, The Wall Street Journal made the announcement in a Wednesday report.

Under one plan, roughly 800 to 1,000 soldiers will be stationed in each of the four battalions to be deployed to Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. U.S. officials said the move was supposed to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a message about the presence of military forces there.

“We are not picking a fight; we aren’t trying to provoke him,” said a senior U.S. defense official. “But we are trying to make sure he understands we are engaged in Europe; we are militarily capable in Europe and we are going to defend NATO. That is the message.”

U.S. officials expressed a willingness to put 150 U.S. soldiers in each of the Baltic states for now but “are open to rotating in additional troops from the United States.”

The U.S. has been urged by Berlin in “private discussions” that putting more soldiers under NATO command in the volatile region would be commensurate to treating Moscow “as a permanent enemy.”