US President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced his intention to seek 3.4 billion dollars - a four-fold increase - to his administration's funding of European security in the 2017 budget, dpa reported. Under the European Reassurance Initiative, US has increased its military presence in Europe and taken steps to bolster "NATO's collective defence capabilities in light of a changing European security environment," Obama said in statement. Noting the upcoming NATO summit to be held in Warsaw this summer, Obama said it is clear that the US and its allies "must do more to advance our common defense in support of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace." NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg "strongly" welcomed the announcement, saying it would lead to more training, pre-positioning, equipment and infrastructure. "This is a clear sign of the enduring commitment by the United States to European security," Stoltenberg said in a statement. "It will be a timely and significant contribution to NATO's deterrence, and collective defence."
