NATO have announced plans to build-up its biggest military presence on the Russian border since the Cold War, in an effort to deter Russia from invading surrounding countries. As relations between Russia and NATO-backed allies continue to deteriorate, NATO have decided to bolster defenses on its eastern flank by stationing 40,000 troops permanently at Russia’s doorstep. Japantimes.co.jp reports: NATO defense ministers will this week begin outlining plans for a complex web of small eastern outposts and warehoused equipment ready for a rapid response force, with troops on rotation and war games held regularly. The rapid response force includes air, maritime and special operations units of up to 40,000 personnel. The allies are also expected to offer Moscow a renewed dialogue in the NATO-Russia Council, which has not met since 2014, about improved military transparency to avoid surprise events and misunderstandings, a senior NATO diplomat said. U.S. plans for a four-fold increase in military spending in Europe, to $3.4 billion in 2017, are central to the strategy, which has been shaped in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the U.S. plans will mean “more troops in the eastern part of the alliance [...]