4,000 US soldiers along with vehicles and equipment are to arrive early next year in Germany, from where they will be deployed to Poland, a senior commander said on Tuesday.

Lieutenant General Frederick Ben Hodges, the commander of US land forces in Europe, said that the aim of the deployment was to secure peace in Europe and provide a demonstration of strength aimed at Russia.

He added that in January, northern Germany would be a logistics hub for the deployment of US troops to Central and Eastern Europe.

He was speaking at a German armed forces logistics school in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, northern Germany.

At a Warsaw summit in July, NATO states decided to deploy four rotating multinational battalions of about 1,000 soldiers each to the alliance’s eastern flank amid fears of potential Russian aggression.

In addition, the United States announced that an armoured brigade, currently stationed in Colorado, would be sent to Poland.