NATO has arranged a number of short-term army, air force and naval rotations inEastern Europe, including the Baltic republics,PolandandRomania, but these are due to finish at the end of this year.

Asked whether NATO might have to look at permanently stationing troops in the alliance's member states inEastern Europe, U.S. Air Force Gen.Philip Breedlovesaid: "I think this is something we have to consider and we will tee this up for discussion through the leaderships of our nations to see where that leads."

NATO leaders are due to hold a summit inWalesin early September.

In the run-up to the summit, NATO commanders, defense ministers and foreign ministers would look at "tougher questions" about whether the alliance had the right footprint inEurope, Breedlove told a news conference inOttawa.

"We need to look at our responsiveness, our readiness and then our positioning of forces to be able to address this new paradigm that we have seen demonstrated in Crimea and now on the eastern border ofUkraine," he said.

Breedlove, who said on Monday he did not thinkMoscowwould send troops intoeastern Ukraine, stressed the steps that NATO had taken so far were designed to support eastern members of the alliance.

"We are taking measures that should be very easily discerned as being defensive in nature. This is about assuring our allies, not provokingRussia, and we are communicating that at every level," he said.

Breedlove insisted the so-called U.S. strategic "pivot" towardAsiawould have no effect on its commitment to NATO and collective defense, though he acknowledged that U.S. troop levels inEuropehave been reduced by about three-quarters from Cold War levels.

Asked if the U.S. troop levels would be enough in light of the Russian moves, he said: "In our own country now, and I think in every other NATO nation, based on the paradigm that we see thatRussiahas presented in Crimea and on the border ofUkraine... we are all going to have to reevaluate some of the decisions that have been made (after the end of the Cold War)."

Breedlove declined to say whether he thought thatFranceshould scrap the sale of two Mistral helicopter-carrier frigates toRussia, saying this was "a national decision" that was up toFrance.Moscowhas said it would demand compensation if this took place.

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NATO Considers Permanent Troop Placement In Eastern Europe Amid Ukraine Crisis: Commander