The Pentagon wants to dramatically increase the funding of its European Reassurance Initiative ERI under the too-familiar pretext of protecting its European allies from the non-existent Moscow threat or, as Geoff Dyer put it, “to send a message to Russia.”The exact number has not been made public yet but the overall mood of the US defense agency seems to reflect a desire to increase tensions with Moscow, although the White House does not necessarily share this sentiment.”While details of the new budget have yet to be finalized, the comments by defense officials underline the deep skepticism within the Pentagon about Russia, even as the Obama administration attempts to find signs of common ground with Moscow over a political solution to the civil war in Syria,” Dyer observed.

via Too-Familiar Tune: Pentagon Plans to Boost Europe Budget to Counter Russia.