US sends 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe amid stalemate over Ukraine-Russia border talks

Russia responded with strong opposition, calling the decision to deploy US troops “baseless and” destructive. “

Russian President Vladimir Putin also had a new telephone exchange with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. But statements issued by the offices of these two leaders showed no sign of making any progress. According to them, Mr. Putin has said that the West is not showing any respect for Russia’s security concerns and Mr. Johnson has expressed deep concern about Russia’s “hostile activity” on the Ukrainian border, citing the gathering of over 100,000 Russian troops there.

President Biden’s administration aims to demonstrate the United States’ determination without undermining efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis. President Biden has deliberately not sent military reinforcements to the three Baltic states on NATO’s eastern flank, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were part of the former Soviet Union. No US troops are being sent to Ukraine, and White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that the administration no longer considers the “immediate” threat to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “because that would mean Washington knows Mr. Putin.” has made a decision to invade his neighbor. Officials say President Putin’s intentions remain unclear.

However, the rise of US troops in Eastern Europe is exactly what Mr Putin has said he sees as intolerable, along with the prospect of Ukraine’s membership in NATO. The United States already has several thousand troops in Poland, and a NATO missile defense system has been installed in Romania that Russia considers a threat to its security. The United States’ presence in the region has grown since 2014, when Russia invaded parts of Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said US forces soon to be deployed in Eastern Europe aimed to temporarily strengthen the defensive positions of the United States and its allies.

“These are not permanent moves,” he said, noting that the aim was to appease the allies. Mr Kirby said Russia was continuing to gather troops near the border with Ukraine, even in the previous 24 hours, despite calls from the United States to reduce tensions.

In Moscow, a senior official said U.S. moves would complicate the crisis.

“Unfounded destructive steps will only fuel military tensions and narrow the field of political decision-making,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in a statement broadcast by the Russian news agency Interfax.

Of the 2,000 U.S. troops to be deployed in Europe from the Fort Bragg base in North Carolina, about 1,700 are part of the 82nd Air Division’s infantry brigade, which will head to Poland. The other 300 troops are from the 18th Air Corps and will go to Germany. About 1,000 troops stationed in Germany will be sent to Romania.

The Pentagon said it did not rule out sending troops other than those notified Wednesday.

“It’s important that we send a strong signal to Mr Putin and to the world that NATO is important to the United States and to our allies,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news conference.

With the deployment of these troops as well as the deployment of 8,500 troops on high alert last month to be sent to Europe if necessary, the United States aims to reassure NATO allies in the face of the accumulation of over 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine.

Washington has said it will not send troops to Ukraine to protect it from a Russian attack, but will impose financial sanctions on Moscow and send weapons to help Ukrainians defend themselves.

Russia, which continues to be Europe’s main energy supplier despite being under US and EU sanctions since the annexation of Crimea by Ukraine in 2014, downplayed the importance of additional sanctions, calling it an empty threat. / VOA /

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