Poland has announced plans to deploy 10,000 troops to its border with Belarus in response to the presence of Russian mercenaries in the region. The move comes as tensions between Moscow and the West continue to escalate, and amid concerns that the conflict in Ukraine could spill over into neighboring countries. The Russian mercenary group known as the Wagner Group, which recently rebelled against the Kremlin, has now been exiled to Belarus where they are helping to train the Belarusian armed forces. This has raised concerns about the size of their contingent and their proximity to NATO members Poland and Lithuania. Poland's ambassador to the United States has warned that the region should be prepared for further provocations from Russia and Belarus in the coming months. The deployment of troops to the border is seen as a defensive measure to protect both Poland and NATO's eastern flank. The move also aims to deter any potential threats to the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which could be cut off from the rest of NATO if control of the Suwalki gap, a stretch of land along Poland's border with Lithuania, were to be taken.