Since April, U.S. defense officials have been concerned about the Russian buildup of 150,000 troops in Crimea and along Russia's eastern border with Ukraine. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has wanted to deter Ukraine from joining NATO. Other proposals include doubling funding for U.S. military exercises in Europe; creating a new State Department program for Eastern Europe to help European allies strengthen their own defensive capabilities and incentivize greater burden-sharing; and boosting funding for State Department efforts to counter Russian disinformation.