Romania maintains it has an open invitation for Kremlin leaders to visit its facility, assuming Russia offered a reciprocity. Poland has also indicated it could agree to anti-missile checks by Russia in exchange for inspections at the Kaliningrad enclave on the Polish border (pictured: NATO bases in Romania and Poland)
* President Joe Biden has offered Russia access to NATO bases and said he would discuss a way to allow Moscow to verify the US does not have Tomahawk cruise missiles at bases in Romania or Poland
* The president's proposal is contingent upon reciprocity from Russia
* It also comes as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin prepares to travel to Europe to attend a NATO defense ministerial later this month amid tensions in Russia and Ukraine
* President Vladimir Putin made his first direct comments on the Ukraine crisis since December on Tuesday
* He said the US and NATO have 'ignored' the Kremlin's top concerns in recent correspondence
* 'It was the United States that came with its missiles to our home, to the doorstep of our home,' Putin said Tuesday during a press conference with Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban
* 'And you demand from me some guarantees. You should give us guarantees. You! And right away, right now,'
* Orban fired back at his NATO allies Tuesday, alleging the sanctions proposed against Russia if the nation were to take military action against Ukraine wold be 'doomed for failure'
* He also argued the Kremlin security demands were 'reasonable'
* If Orban vetoed NATO action against Russia, Biden may have to act on his own if he were to deploy troops
President Joe Biden has offered Russian President Vladimir Putin access to NATO bases so that Moscow can verify the US does not have Tomahawk cruise missiles in Romania or Poland in a bid to avoid war in Ukraine.
Sources close to Biden told Bloomberg on Tuesday the proposal would only come to fruition upon agreement with American allies, especially Poland and Romania.
Russia would also need to share similar information about a number of bases housing ground-launched weapons.
Biden's proposal reportedly aims to diminish the Kremlin's fears that the US could use the missiles to target Russia.
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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- February 2, 2022
Leaked Text Suggests Possible US-Russia Missile Arrangement -- AP
US ready to discuss inspections to missile defense sites in Romania, Poland — El Pais -- TASS
New satellite images show buildup of Russian military around Ukraine -- CNN
Russia-Ukraine conflict: Satellite images reveal extent of Moscow’s military buildup -- FOX News
Russia Stages Drills in Moldova’s Breakaway Transnistria -- Moscow Times
Russian, Belarusian troops switch to combat cohesion in joint drills in Belarus -- TASS
Another Flotilla Of Russian Warships Is About To Enter The English Channel -- Warzone/The Drive
Some 20 Russian Pacific Fleet ships begin exercise in Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk -- TASS
New Helicopter Units Appear To Be Joining Russian Forces Massing On Ukraine’s Borders -- Warzone/The Drive
Ukrainians Train in Guerrilla Tactics in Case Russia Invades -- AP
Poland Will Send Shoulder-Fired Anti-Aircraft Missiles To Ukraine -- Warzone/The Drive
Poland to send air-defense weapons, ammo, drones to Ukraine -- Defense News
How Ukraine's armed forces shape up against Russia's -- Reuters
French Navy chief on Ukraine, AUKUS and unmanned tech -- Breaking Defense
US, NATO Told Russia They Are Refraining From Deploying Nukes in Eastern Europe, Spanish Media Says -- Sputnik
US sends top security official to help NATO brace for Russian cyberattacks -- New York Times
US to deploy warship & 5th generation fighter jets to UAE -- RT
US Holds Largest Multinational Naval Exercise in Middle East, Tests Fleet of Drones -- Sputnik
The F-15EX Has Fired Its First Missile -- Warzone/The Drive
Four carriers being prepped for Navy’s Project Overmatch -- Breaking Defense
Nearly a third of Defense Department structures have exceeded their lifespan -- Military Times
The health of the Defense Industrial Base is failing, trade group says -- Breaking Defense
NRO plans 7 spy satellite launches in 2022; one from mystery foreign spaceport -- Breaking Defense
Navy prepares F-35C recovery op in South China Sea as Japan issues salvage notice -- Defense News
UK Reportedly Scrambles Typhoon Jets to Track Unidentified Aircraft North of Scotland -- Sputnik
Libya deserves more US military attention to keep Russian ambitions at bay, report argues -- Stars and Stripes
Germany mulls end of military mission in Mali -- DW
Swedish Expert Slams Country's Defence as Made for 'Beautiful Weather', Operations of Choice -- Sputnik
Israeli PM to Speed Up Rollout of Lasers for Missile Defense -- AP
UAE, reeling from Houthi attacks, seeking Israeli advanced radar: Sources -- Breaking Defense
Egypt inks $1.7 billion deal for K9 howitzers from South Korea -- Defense News