Should Russia march into eastern Ukraine, the best way to respond would be to set up a permanent brigade of American light forces in the most vulnerable NATO members, namely, the Baltics -- Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
On April 16, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced that NATO would be stepping up its air patrols near the Baltic States and conducting some additional ship maneuvers and deployments of military trainers in the area. The decision to do so was wise; the increased NATO presence will aid in reconnaissance and help reassure frontline NATO states, which undoubtedly feel threatened by Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent adventures in Ukraine. The deployments are also a reasonable and proportionate response to Russia's own recent buzzing of a U.S.