U.S. to move 3,000 troops closer to Ukraine as Russia crisis escalates
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American soldiers are seen lining up to board the C-130 plane to fly to Kuwait. They were preparing to withdraw from Iraq on December 3rd 2011, at Sather Air Base in Baghdad.
Scott Peterson | Getty Images
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon will move some of its Europe-based forces further east and deploy additional U.S.-based troops to Europe, as the security situation on Ukraine’s border with Russia continues to deteriorate.
According to NBC News, President Joe Biden is sending 2,000 U.S. troops to Poland and Germany. They will be joining other troops. The official said that another 1,000 troops already present in Europe would be transferred to Romania.
“These forces won’t fight in Ukraine. These forces aren’t going to make permanent moves. The official stated that they respond to the current situation.”
CNBC asked the White House to comment immediately.
The deployment comes as an estimated 100,000 Russian troops equipped with advanced weaponry line Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia and northern border with Belarus, a Moscow ally.
A top Pentagon official warned last week that there would be no defense against the aftermath of a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be “horrific.”
The type of forces arrayed means that the ground maneuver forces and artillery are combined with the missiles and air force. “If that were unleashed upon Ukraine, it’d be significant, very significant and it would resultin a significant amount of causalties,” U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley said to reporters at the Pentagon Friday.
Milley said, “It would have been horrific.”
General Mark Milley is the Chairman of U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and answers reporters’ questions about Russia and Ukraine at a press conference held at the Pentagon, Washington, U.S.A, 28 January 2022.
Reuters| Reuters
Milley was the highest ranking military officer in the country and said that Russia’s position along Ukraine’s borders was different from anything else he had seen over his four decades of military service.
According to him, the Russians had deployed special forces and air force, as well as naval and aircraft forces along Ukraine’s borders.
However, the Kremlin denies that troop deployments are a precursor to attacks and instead describes the move as a military exercise.
Russian officials called repeatedly on the U.S. for an end to the NATO expansion in the east.
Russia has also demanded that the U.S. “shall not establish military bases” in the territories of any former Soviet states that are not already members of NATO, or “use their infrastructure for any military activities or develop bilateral military cooperation with them.”
This week’s Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of failing to address key Russian security issues. U.S.′ refusal last week to concede to Moscow’s demands over Ukraine and NATO.
Putin spoke during a press conference on TuesdayAccording to the U.S., they wanted Russia “contained”, and any Ukraine membership in NATO would “undermine Russia’s safety.”
This is the latest news. Stay tuned for new updates.
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