‘U.S. forces are not going to fight in Ukraine but to ensure the robust defense of NATO allies’
President Joe Biden has formally approved the deployment of 3,000 US troops to Romania, Poland and Germany, the Pentagon announced Wednesday. The deployment was announced to bolster support to NATO countries in Eastern Europe with tens of thousands of Russian troops amassed along Ukraine’s border.
Additional 2,000 troops will head to Poland and Germany from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Another 1,000 troops belonging to a Stryker squadron who are already in Europe will be repositioned to Romania to respond to growing threats to Europe’s security.
“These are not permanent moves. They are moves designed to respond to current security enviornmmet” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said as he announced the deployment.
The 3,000-strong troop deployment announced is separate from the 8,500 U.S. service members who remain on high alert at a time of heightened tension over Russia’s buildup of an estimated 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders.
“These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are going to ensure the robust defense of our NATO allies” Pentagon spokesperson. “These are not permanent moves. We respond to current conditions, we will adjust our posture as those conditions evolve.”
Kirby also said U.S. officials “welcome” French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France plans to send several hundred troops to Romania. The U.S. will continue to coordinate with all European allies to ensure their militaries “complement each other” in deployments, Kirby added.
“These movements are unmistakable signals to the world that we stand ready to reassure our NATO allies and deter and defend against any aggression,” he said.
