WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden on Wednesday approved deployment of about 3,000 additional American troops to Eastern Europe amid constant and unending complicated dispute with Russia over Ukraine, on whose borders Pentagon says Moscow has amassed 1,00,000 troops ready to invade the former Soviet territory.
US officials emphasized that American troops are not being deployed in Ukraine but instead will go to Poland and Romania to protect Nato’s eastern flank.
Roughly 1,000 personnel based in Germany will move to Romania, and another 2,000 will depart shortly from Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina. Of these 1,700 members from 82nd Airborne Division will go to Poland and 300 members from 18th Airborne Corps will go to Germany.
The officials maintained that the moves are not permanent, defensive in nature, and that Washington is only responding to “current conditions”, while aiming to reassure Nato allies and meet US commitments to protect them.
However, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the newly deployed troops are going under bilateral arrangement with Germany, Poland, and Romania, and they will remain under US control.
“I want to be very clear about something: these are not permanent moves…Moreover, these forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are going to ensure the robust defense of our Nato allies,” Kirby said.
