Tensions are already on the rise between the US and Russia over massive US deployments in Germany for a training exercise marching east toward Russia. A force of US Marines are now heading to Trondheim, Norway for another deployment along the Russian border.

Russia is none too happy, again, both annoyed at the US for deployment yet more troops along their border, and at Norway, who promised not to host any foreign troops on the Russian border when they became part of NATO. Norway insists this is just a temporary deployment and doesn’t count.

How temporary? Officials say the US Marines will be in the area for at least a year, focusing on “cold weather” exercises which appear to center on “learning how to cope with skis.” They added the skis will have “nothing to do with Russia or the current situation.”

Russia will doubtless note that there are plenty of places to ski that aren’t a stone’s throw from the NATO/Russia border, and this will just be the latest in a long list of small irritants adding to the tension between the US and Russia.