United States of Europe: American military aggressively invades - er, occupies - Baltic states

© Reuters

An Abrams main battle tank, for U.S. troops deployed in the Baltics as part of NATO's invasion of Eastern Europe aka Operation 'Atlantic Resolve', arrive at the port in Riga, Latvia, on March 9, 2015.

The United States is sending 3,000 soldiers near Russia's doorstep for training exercises with the militaries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the Associated Press reported Monday. The deployment by the Pentagon comes amid rising tensions with Russia on the crisis in Ukraine, in which most of the West accuses Moscow of instigating the military conflict between pro-Russia separatists and the Ukrainian military.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are all NATO countries that gained membership in the alliance in 2004. About 750 U.S. tanks, helicopters and other equipment are scheduled to arrive in the Latvian capital of Riga next Monday, Army Col. Steve Warren told the AP. The military exercises are expected to last three months, although Army Gen. John O'Conner said the equipment will stay "for as long as required to deter Russian aggression," according to the Russian news agency Tass.

The exercises were planned as the three countries become increasingly concerned over Russia's aggression in eastern Ukraine, according to the AP. "," said Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis, according to Tass.