US President Biden is increasing the presence of American troops in Europe.
(Photo: dpa)
Washington In view of the tense situation in the Ukraine conflict, US President Joe Biden wants to send around 2,000 soldiers from the USA to Germany and Poland. The US Department of Defense announced on Wednesday in Washington that 1,000 US soldiers would be relocated from Germany to Romania.
The troop transfers are expected in the next few days, said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. These are not permanent transfers.
“The current situation requires us to increase deterrence and defense preparedness on NATO’s eastern flank,” Kirby said. The troop deployment is an “unmistakable signal” to the world that the United States stands by its allies.
If necessary, there could also be further troop movements in the future, from the USA or within Europe. Kirby emphasized that the troops who have now been deployed should be viewed separately from the 8,500 soldiers who are already on standby.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
The majority of the approximately 2,000 soldiers of an airborne division from the state of North Carolina, which is to be flown in in the coming days, are to be relocated to Poland, Kirby explained.
Warning of attack on a NATO member country
Any action against a NATO state would trigger the defense alliance’s duty of assistance, Kirby emphasized. “We make it clear that we will be ready to defend our NATO allies should that happen. Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Kirby said.
The spokesman added that the deployment of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border is currently ongoing, “even for the past 24 hours,” he said.
On Biden’s orders, 8,500 soldiers in the United States were put on increased readiness last week to enable rapid transfer to Europe if necessary. Biden had emphasized that it was a precautionary measure to address concerns of Eastern European NATO members.
The President and other members of the government have repeatedly made it clear that no US soldiers would be sent to Ukraine for combat purposes.
At the end of last week, Biden finally announced that a troop transfer would be imminent. Tens of thousands of US soldiers are regularly stationed in Europe, including around 35,000 in Germany, around 4,000 in Poland and 900 in Romania.
With more than 100,000 Russian troops deployed near Ukraine, fears are growing in the West that Russia is planning an invasion of its neighbor. The Kremlin denies that.
However, it is also considered possible that Moscow only wants to stir up fears in order to persuade the NATO states to make concessions on demands for new security guarantees.
Russia wants to get NATO to rule out further easter expansion and, in particular, the admission of Ukraine. It also calls for a withdrawal of NATO troops from eastern alliance states. Moscow has addressed a corresponding list of demands to NATO and the USA. Both reject Russia’s core concerns, but have offered dialogue in written replies.
More: Putin warns of war danger if Ukraine joins NATO