The Biden Administration ordered an additional 3,000 soldiers to central Europe, following intelligence warnings that the Russian military could invade Ukraine at any time.
The deployment is part of a realignment of American firepower on the European continent amid looming fears of widespread war, according to a senior Defense Department official. Over the last two weeks, President Joe Biden has moved troops, naval ships and warplanes into eastern Europe in reaction to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military escalation.
In a show of force not seen since the Cold War, Russia has positioned more than 100,000 troops in several countries along Ukraine’s borders. The Biden Administration had initially pursued diplomacy in hopes of resolving the deteriorating situation. But the lack of progress, and the continued build-up of Russian forces, has prompted the U.S. to draw up more aggressive strategies to deter Putin.
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The decision to deploy 3,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division into Poland is the latest move by the White House to demonstrate solidarity with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies concerned over Russia’s massing combat power. On Feb. 2, Biden ordered an Army Stryker squadron consisting of 1,000 troops to move from Germany into Romania. The same day he ordered 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division and 300 troops from 18th Airborne Corps to Poland. Romania and Poland are NATO members that border Ukraine to the south and west, respectively, and they are bracing for refugee flows and potential frontier security issues should Moscow invade from the north and east.
The U.S. forces are not being sent to Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, nor will they take part in any combat roles in the event of a Russian invasion of the country, the U.S. has said. Rather the U.S. forces will serve as reinforcements to reassure U.S. allies and deter further aggression from Moscow, Washington says.
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Source : time
