Ever since the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's initial post-Cold War enlargement, the absence of United States military assets in Central Europe has been seen as indicative of the new NATO members' second-tier status. The perception has endured, even though the Barack Obama administration pushed through NATO contingency plans for the defence of Central Europe and the Baltics. The administration's 'reset' with Russia, the new strategic guidance of 2012, the so-called 'pivot' to Asia and American public relations missteps in Poland only deepened the sense of disconnect.
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