US readies deployment of 8,500 troops to Ukraine

Military spokesman Admiral John Kirby clarified that “no decisions have been made to deploy US forces at this time.”

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, held an urgent summit with the leaders of the European Union, including the heads of state or government of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and NATO to discuss the situation in Ukraine , after his government was preparing to send troops to allied countries in the event of an invasion by Russia .

The Pentagon announced that 8,500 US soldiers were placed on “high alert” for their imminent deployment, not in Ukrainian territory, but in European countries that are part of NATO, although the military spokesman, Admiral John Kirby, clarified that ” No decisions have been made to deploy US forces at this time.”

The troops had already received orders to prepare for a deployment to the European theater of operations in 10 days, but the Biden administration’s new sense of urgency reduced that preparation period to just five days, at a time when Russia has accumulated more of 100 thousand soldiers on its border with Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the State Department issued a travel alert ordering diplomats’ family members to leave Ukraine and advising US citizens not to travel to the area due to growing threats of Russian military action and COVID-19 infections. 19. “US citizens in Ukraine should consider leaving now using commercial transportation options or other available private transportation options,” he said.

From the White House, Biden met by closed circuit with his colleagues Emmanuel Macron, from France; Olaf Scholz, from Germany; Mario Draghi, from Italy; Andrzej Duda, from Poland, and Boris Johnson, from Great Britain to discuss the options of the Atlantic alliance. “We agree that any further aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have severe costs,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, said at the end of the virtual meeting.

NATO announced the deployment of warships and fighter-bombers to reinforce defenses in Eastern Europe and assured that it will take “all necessary measures” to protect and defend allied countries.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed NATO for the escalation of tensions, saying President Vladimir Putin was taking steps to ensure Russia’s security and interests are protected as Russian soldiers continued to arrive in Belarus. for military exercises to be held next month.

“I want to draw your attention to the fact that all this is not happening because of what we, Russia , are doing. It’s all happening because of what the United States is doing, NATO, and because of the information they’re spreading,” Peskov said.