President Joe Biden formally approved the deployment of 3,000 US troops to Poland, Germany and Romania, the Pentagon announced Wednesday. It is a measure that seeks to strengthen the NATO countries in Eastern Europe in the face of the tens of thousands of Russian soldiers who have accumulated along the border with Ukraine.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the deployments included roughly 2,000 troops to Poland and Germany. In addition, approximately 1,000 military personnel currently based in Germany will relocate to Romania.
Kirby said the moves, which would take place in the coming days, were not permanent, emphasizing: “These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine.”
This move is the most significant signal to date that the US is bracing for the possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin launching an invasion of Ukraine. Precisely because Moscow has shown no signs of de-escalation, after several rounds of diplomatic talks with the United States and NATO.
The US has put 8,500 troops on high alert in case a NATO Response Force is called in and US troops are needed quickly. But the United States and NATO already have tens of thousands of other soldiers in Europe to call on for any additional deployments to Eastern European allies.