U.S. equally pursuing and focused on other threats and challenges around the world amid Russia threat
The buildup of 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine’s border maybe the focus right now but U.S. military is equally pursuing and focused on other threats and crises around the world in the Middle East, China and North Korea.
Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said the military remains watchful to walk and chew gum at the same time.
“Just because we’re focused on bolstering our NATO allies in Europe right now, given the worrisome accumulation of combat credible power by the Russians, in and around Ukraine, doesn’t mean that we aren’t still focused on the pacing challenge that China represents to the Department” Kirby said at January 27 press briefing.
The United States is also mindful of “integrated deterrence not just in the Indo Pacific but around the world … the continual threats and challenges in the Middle East. And certainly, we’re mindful of the destabilizing behavior by Pyongyang with respect to these recent tests.”
“There’s a lot on our plate. And we’re focused on all of it. Just because right now, one issue, obviously is certainly capturing the attention of the world community doesn’t mean that we’re not equally pursuing and focused on other threats and challenges to the country” he asserted.
Russia incursion threat
The global attention, however, is clearly focused on Ukraine. The United States has warned of “massive consequences” if Russia invades Ukraine. DoD spokesman said that United States has two responsibilities. One is the commitment to NATO alliance under the Article Five and other is to help allies through security assistance and in the current scenario, helping the Ukrainian Armed Forces better defend themselves. U.S. defense leaders have cautioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin “clearly now has the ability” to invade Ukraine with “very, very little warning.”
$200 million military aid to Ukraine
The U.S. military has vowed to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine in the face of a potential Russian invasion. The Pentagon has provided more details about the $200 million military aid package for Ukraine approved by President Joe Biden in December 2021. “This package includes additional Javelin and other anti-armor systems, grenade launchers, munitions, and nonlethal equipment essential to Ukraine’s front-line defenders,” said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth, a Pentagon spokesman. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said that 79 tons of security assistance, including about 300 Javelins, has arrived in Kyiv. Ukraine has requested more military supplies, including Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, light-armoured vehicles and helicopters
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the U.S. was shipping Javelin anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers and ammunition to Ukrainian forces. “If Russia chooses to invade Ukraine, it will not be cost-free in terms of casualties,” Gen. Milley warned. He added that “The United States has zero offensive combat weapons systems, nor any permanent forces, nor bases, in Ukraine.”
Gen. Milley also said Russian forces have amassed near Ukraine with over 100,000 ground forces, air forces, naval forces, special forces, cyber, electronic warfare, command and control, logistics, engineers and other capabilities along the Ukraine border.
US puts 8,500 troops on heightened alert
President Joe Biden has said that he will move US troops to NATO allies in Eastern Europe in the “near term”. As many as 8,500 US troops have been put on heightened alert for a possible deployment to Eastern Europe amid escalating tensions as Russia has amassed troops on the border of Ukraine. But a former high-ranking official Paula Dobriansky believes that the Unites States could go a step further and pre-emptively deploy the troops.
Russia has insisted that NATO pre-emptively bars Ukraine from future membership in the alliance. The U.S. and NATO formally rejected those demands.
