WASHINGTON (AP) — At President Biden’s direction, the Pentagon is putting about 8,500 U.S.-based troops on heightened alert for potential deployment to Europe amid rising fears of a possible Russian military move on Ukraine.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday no final decisions had been made on deployments, which he said would happen only if the NATO alliance decides to activate a rapid-response force “or if other situations develop” in connection with tensions over Russia’s military buildup along Ukraine’s borders.
“What this is about is reassurance to our NATO allies,” Kirby said, adding that no troops are intended for deployment to Ukraine itself.
Kirby said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recommended to Biden that up to 8,500 troops be ordered to prepare for potential deployment to Europe in light of signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not de-escalating his military pressure on Ukraine. Kirby said he was not prepared to identify the U.S.-based units because they were still being notified.
“We’ve always said we would reinforce our allies on the eastern flank, and those conversations and discussions have certainly been part of what our national security officials have been discussing with their counterparts now for several weeks,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Later Monday, Biden was to hold a video call with several European leaders on the Russian military buildup and potential responses to an invasion, the White House said.
The Pentagon’s move comes as tensions have soared between Russia and the West over concerns that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine, with NATO outlining potential troop and ship deployments, Britain saying it would withdraw some diplomats from Kyiv, and Ireland denouncing upcoming Russian war games off its coast.
Prior to the U.S. announcement, the Western alliance’s statement summed up moves already described by member countries, but restating them under the NATO banner appeared aimed at showing resolve. The West is ramping up its rhetoric in the information war that has accompanied the Ukraine standoff.
Russia has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border, demanding that NATO promise it will never allow Ukraine to join and that other actions, such as stationing alliance troops in former Soviet bloc countries, be curtailed. Some of these, like any pledge to permanently bar Ukraine, are nonstarters for NATO — creating a deadlock that many fear can only end in war.
Russia denies it is planning an invasion, and says the Western accusations are merely a cover for NATO’s own planned provocations. Recent days have seen high-stakes diplomacy that failed to reach any breakthrough and maneuvering on both sides.
NATO said Monday it is bolstering its “deterrence” in the Baltic Sea region. Denmark is sending a frigate and deploying F-16 warplanes to Lithuania; Spain is sending four fighter jets to Bulgaria and three ships to the Black Sea to join NATO naval forces; and France stands ready to send troops to Romania. The Netherlands also plans to send two F-35 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria from April.
NATO will “take all necessary measures to protect and defend all allies,” Secretary-General jens Stoltenberg said. “We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defense.”
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was NATO and the U.S. who were behind the escalating tensions, not Russia.
“All this is happening not because of what we, Russia, are doing. This is happening because of what NATO, the U.S. are doing,” Peskov told reporters.
The NATO announcement came as European Union foreign ministers sought to put on a fresh display of unity in support of Ukraine, and paper over concerns about divisions on the best way to confront any Russian aggression.
In a statement, the ministers said the EU has stepped up sanction preparations and they warned that “any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine will have massive consequences and severe costs.”
Separately, the EU also committed to increase financial support for embattled Ukraine, vowing to push through a special package of 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in loans and grants as soon as possible.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday and said the U.S. would give Russia written responses to Moscow’s proposals this week, offering some hope that any invasion could be delayed for at least a few more days.
The West is nervously watching Russian troop movements and war games in Belarus for any signs of an invasion. Russia has already invaded Ukraine once, annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. It also supported pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists fighting the Kyiv government in the country’s eastern region known as the Donbass. About 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
Asked whether the EU would follow a U.S. move and order the families of European embassy personnel in Ukraine to leave, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said: “We are not going to do the same thing.”
Britain said it is withdrawing some diplomats and dependents from its Kyiv Embassy.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said an invasion was not inevitable, but “the intelligence is pretty gloomy.” He added that “I think that sense can still prevail.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, said the U.S. decision was “a premature step” and a sign of “excessive caution.” He said Russia is sowing panic among Ukrainians and foreigners in order to destabilize Ukraine.
Germany has issued no similar order, with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressing that “we must not contribute to unsettling the situation further.”
At the EU meeting, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he would inform his counterparts about planned Russian war games 240 kilometers (150 miles) off southwestern Ireland — in international waters but within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone.
“This isn’t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what’s happening with and in Ukraine.” he said. “The fact that they are choosing to do it on the western borders, if you like, of the EU, off the Irish coast, is something that in our view is simply not welcome.”
NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said they plan to send U.S.-made anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, a move endorsed by Washington.
In talks with European allies throughout the crisis, administration officials said they have remained cognizant that Europe’s trade, energy and financial linkages with Russia are far more significant than they are for the U.S.
Russia’s brittle economy is overly reliant on energy exports. President Vladimir Putin has made clear his ambition to diversify the economy, particularly in sectors like defense and civil aviation, but the U.S. and European allies have a dominant position in producing and exporting the technologies, software and equipment crucial for Russia in those sectors.
Throughout the talks, European officials have underscored having a “legitimate analysis and understanding of … what will actually make Russia hurt” and what the “collateral costs” might be, according to a second senior administration official.
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Associated Press writers Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, Dasha Litvinova in Moscow, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Aritz Parra in Madrid, Jill Lawless in London, Robert Burns and Aamer Madhani in Washington, Mike Corder in The Hague, and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.
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The problem now is—too much has been allowed for too long and it isn’t just Russia spitting fireballs. China is taunting over Taiwan. Rocket Man in North Korea is making his presence known again. Iran continues to sponsor terror wherever it can. Now, suppose all of these players decide that they want to act all at once.
Joe—you have a real problem. And let’s not forget the Taliban whom you bowed down to.
If all the players are acting at once, then Joe being one of the players is probably in cahoots with Putin and the Iranians to fake and invasion of Ukraine just to drive up the price of oil, which Joe has already done quite successfully, with his 10% kickbacks now rising to traitorous presidential proportion. Obama got his millions, Biden tens of millions. Just how do you think they all get so much richer after leaving office? It’s more pay Joe more now, and THE PEOPLE pay tons more pay later, to the very enemies that own Joe always and forever.
ALL is going to his handler’s plan… TO UTTERLY RUIN the USA.
Now Americans lives are put in danger “again” by the spineless moron who is the puppet to obami. If other situations arise? If he and the rogues would keep their mouths shut and their quest for money and power at bay maybe the world would calm down. The once most powerful country in the world has turned into exactly what the powers that be want. A pathetic joke and Americans are having to sit back and watch our destruction.
Putin needs to be made aware of the possibility of his own destruction, similar to what the Kaiser experienced in WWI where a war fought during a raging Spanish flu pandemic killed more soldiers than bullets and ended in the fall the Kaiser who had to flee to the Netherlands, like Gorbachev had to flee to Bavaria to save their skins. In 1918 650,000 died of the flu in the USA out of a population of only 92 million which would translate into about 2 million in today’s population
AND what’s the bet, any troops WE DO send, will have SUCH RESTRICTIVE Rules of engagement, that they are going to effectively be USELESS there… ALl so ‘we don’t offend’ anyone.
Up is down, down is up, Terrorists threaten to take over Afghanistan, Joe sends our troops back home, Russians threaten the Ukraine with 150,000 heavily armed troops, Joe sends 8,500 troops to places in Europe other than the Ukraine, probably armed with bean bag guns, environmentally safe electric tanks and lots of woke indoctrination leaflets, while emptying the American embassy in Ukraine like he did in Afghanistan, and Hillary did in Libya.
“He said Russia is sowing panic among Ukrainians and foreigners in order to destabilize Ukraine.”,,,,,,well why the hell is Biden not sowing panic among the Russians in order to destabilize Putin’s own power? Does the word Chernobyl not ring fear in the hearts of all the Russian people? They in their usual Russian incompetency gave the Ukraine Chernobyl and must know is there is a God of justice who might just give them one of their own in return? The Russian people’s fear of that alone should cause Putin to fall faster than a Gorbachev on a mission to find refuge in German Bavaria when he got ran out of the Country in the 90s.
Time it is the Russians be made to react to OUR actions. Just don’t let Joe do the leading.
The United States has built the Chinese military by sending jobs to China and as a result giving the Chinese intellectual property, Fauci unleashed a virus on the world by giving financial support to the Wuhan Lab, the Chinese now control our antibiotic flow to the United States and the Chinese control our auto industry, as there is a microchip shortage in the United States, since China produces microchips for cars. The politicians from both parties sold us out. Building up Russia’s wealth with Biden approving a pipeline of natural gas and oil coming into Europe from Russia and Biden strangling our ability to pump oil. With a weakling like Joe Biden in office, our Country is going to collapse.
I tend to agree with Tucker Carlson that defending the former USSR state of Ukraine from current Russia should not be US or other Western nations problem despite the 1994 Budapest Memo treaty which only involved US & UK in Ukraine defense. Apparently EU & other NATO countries were not interested in becoming entangled in Ukraine vs Russia conflicts.
Ukraine has been designated one of most corrupt EU countries which is why it has never been admitted to NATO & wonder why NATO would now risk lives & funds of their peoples for Ukraine.
Probably because USA is usual suspect in demanding others join them in stirring up trouble abroad & then setting up govts wholly dependent on billions / trillions of US taxpayer funds while past & current US govts refuse to protect the sovereignty, freedoms & best interests of it’s own citizens.
Fact is the current US govt can’t be too worried about Communism / Socialism spreading since it is now acting as Communist / Socialist as Russia & China.
Wonder if the war threats against Russia over Ukraine would exist if the cheap foreign labor & profiteering interests of US major corps, sports leagues & entertainment industry were with Russia instead of China.
AND one wonders, HAD BIDEN NOT greenlit their gas pipeline, WHILE KILLING OUR pipelines, would russia EVEN HAVE the money and clout to DO THIS?
Current Marxist Dem Party has done everything but hit us over the head with 2 X 4 to make very clear they intend to eliminate fossil fuel energy use for the citizens of US regardless of the misery & economic disaster that will cause.
Germany & all the other govts, even the Islamic, Communist & Socialist dictatorships, are not yet as irrational & maliciously intent on destroying their nation’s ability to survive as our Dem Party govt has become.
People may tolerate various forms of tyranny but they will violently revolt if the ultra rich elite ruling class starts forcing the masses to freeze, burn & starve due to lack of affordable reliable available mass produced energy which is currently only from oil, gas, coal & nuclear.
I like what one lady in Fox news wrote.. Joe won’t protect our border but he will send troops to protect Ukraine border. He needs to send troops to protect our border first !
THe dems have been that way for YEARS.. Giving a rats butt about protecting OTHER NATIONS border, but never our own.
Since the 1950’s First the USSR and now Russia have been the big Boogy Man that we spent trillions training to fight. I remember when the Dems insisted we had to contain the Reds. Then we had to win the Space Race. And while we tore down Eisenhower’s Civil Defense system to show how WE believed in the MAD concept Russia just kept adding to theirs. The left has always demanded a strong defense as long as it wasn’t aimed at Russia.
From Star Trek remember the 34th rule. “War is good for business” This time the Chinese will cut us off from spare parts as we get our butts kicked.
They certainly must be laughing their butts off..
From what I see many GOP reps seem happy & even relieved to focus US tax $ & even US troops on inciting war actions against Socialist Russia instead of aggressively standing up to & fighting against the Marxist Dem Party govt that is destroying our nation before our eyes with little to no GOP political resistance.
Don’t think Ukraine, NATO, EU, UN or anyone else is going to threaten or
sanction US Dem Party govt for subverting US constitution, sovereignty, free speech, rule of law, equally applied justice & the catastrophic destruction of US economic & social stability via the mass migration costing US citizens $300 + Billion annually & spending of Trillions tax $ just to eliminate reliable affordable energy in US.
At this point I don’t care if Russia takes back Ukraine. I consider the Dem Party & go along to get along GOP to be more dangerous to US survival as free & prosperous country than Russia ever could be.
US govt backed Bin Laden & Islamic terrorists against Russia in Afghanistan to “prevent” spread of Communism. That didn’t work out so well for us or Afghanistan, many of whose citizens would now likely prefer Russia Socialism to Taliban / ISIS horror.
IF WE ARE NOT allowed to use military force to protect OUR OWN BLOODY BORDER< then our troops should NOT BE USED TO protect the border, of any OTHER NATION.