President Joe Biden says the US will significantly expand its military presence in Europe, as part of reshaped plans for the continent's security. 
Among the changes, there will be a permanent US garrison in Poland, for the first time, creating an enduring American foothold on the alliance's eastern flank. 
Mr Biden also said the US would send two additional squadrons of F-35 fighter jets to the United Kingdom and more air defences and other capabilities to Germany and Italy.
"The United States will enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the changing security environment as well as strengthening our collective security," Mr Biden said in Madrid.
He said the US would keep 100,000 troops in Europe for the "foreseeable future", up from 80,000 before the war in Ukraine began.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg — who said the alliance was facing its biggest challenge since World War II because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine — welcomed Mr Biden's announcement.
"This really demonstrates your decisive leadership and strength in the trans-Atlantic bond," Mr Stoltenberg said.
The expanding US military presence is still far short of its numbers during the Cold War, when roughly 300,000 American troops, on average, were stationed in the region, but it signals a renewed focus on European security. 
The first full day of NATO's historic conference in Madrid has confirmed an uncomfortable truth for Vladimir Putin – that he has become the most effective recruiter-in-chief that the military alliance could ever have.
NATO plans to increase the size of its rapid-reaction force from 40,000 to 300,000 troops by next year.
Although the troops would be based in their home countries, they would be ready to deploy further east, where the alliance will stockpile equipment and ammunition.
Mr Biden said the US would step up its temporary deployments of troops to Romania and the Baltic region, in addition to permanently stationing the US Army V Corps forward command in Poland.
Celeste Wallander — an Assistant US Secretary of Defence for International Affairs — told reporters that having a long-term presence in Poland will be key to helping NATO navigate the changed security environment in Europe.
Poland's President Andrzej Duda, who is in Madrid, said on Twitter that the permanent presence of US military command structure was an "extremely important decision" and a "decision that we have been waiting for".
US officials emphasised that the permanent bases applied only to headquarters units, not combat troops.
They said it was consistent with a 1997 agreement between NATO and Russia in which the alliance agreed not to permanently base combat troops in Eastern Europe post-Cold War.
The combat units Mr Biden is sending to Romania and the Baltic region are on rotational deployments, rather than permanent assignment, to remain in compliance with that agreement.
Meanwhile, NATO branded Russia the biggest "direct threat" to Western security after its invasion of Ukraine and agreed on plans to modernise Kyiv's beleaguered armed forces.
Distant events are a thing of the past. It's why Anthony Albanese and a handful of other Pacific leaders have been invited to attend a NATO meeting in Madrid.
At the Madrid summit, NATO also invited Sweden and Finland to join and pledged a seven-fold increase from 2023 in combat forces on high alert along its eastern flank against any future Russian attack.
In reaction, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would respond in kind if NATO set up infrastructure in Finland and Sweden after they join the US-led military alliance.
Mr Putin was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying he could not rule out that tensions would emerge in Moscow's relations with Helsinki and Stockholm over their joining of NATO.
Mr Biden said Mr Putin thought NATO members would splinter after he invaded Ukraine, but got the opposite response.
"Putin was looking for the Finland-ization of Europe," Mr Biden said.
"You're going to get the NATO-ization of Europe. And that's exactly what he didn't want, but exactly what needs to be done to guarantee security for Europe."
AP/Reuters
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