BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - NATO needs to have a larger presence in eastern Europe in light of the crisis in Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday.
"If there is no readiness for a greater NATO presence in bordering countries of the European Union, it will mean NATO solidarity is only declarative," Tusk said at a security conference in the Slovak capital.
"The NATO presence, meaning infrastructure and specific units, should be greater in Baltic countries, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria ? meaning where we have a border with an unstable region."
The alliance's top military commander said earlier this month that NATO would have to consider permanently stationing troops in parts of eastern Europe as a result of the increased tension between Russia and Ukraine.
(Reporting by Jakub Iglewski and Jan Lopatka; Writing by Jason Hovet; Editing by Hugh Lawson)