Here’s what Biden did…
On Friday (January 28), President Biden relayed to reporters that he would be moving U.S. troops to NATO countries and Eastern Europe in the “near term.”
These comments were made shortly after the President stepped off Air Force One, saying at the time that he didn’t have an update on the Russia-Ukraine tensions.
The President’s remarks come as it was revealed that the accumulation of Russian troops at Ukraine’s border was the largest since the Cold War, according to top Pentagon officials.
Mark Miley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned the conflict would be “horrific” while Lloyd Austin, Defense Secretary, emphasized it was “not inevitable,” stressing there was still “time and space for diplomacy,” despite threats by the Kremlin to continue with a major incursion in Ukraine.
Earlier in the week, Biden said no American forces would be “moving into Ukraine” but hinted that there would be a presence of U.S. troops in Europe. At the time, it was speculated the troops would be moved to NATO front-line countries if the Russia-Ukraine crisis intensifies.
One such military unit in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, which is on heightened readiness because of a military buildup of Russian forces at Ukraine’s border, according to statements made by Pentagon spokesman John Kirby during a press briefing on Thursday. Kirby revealed the 82nd Airborne Division was based at Fort Bragg and was joined by “elements of the 18th Airborne Corps” who were also based at Fort Bragg.
Russia has increased deployment of what Kirby referred to as “credible combat forces” in the last 24 hours.
Before that, the Kremlin had stationed over 100,000 Russian troops at the border with Ukraine, causing the U.S. to prepare for the possibility of an invasion weeks in advance.
