Biden orders thousands of US troops to Eastern Europe over Russia threats
US President Joe Biden has ordered the deployment of thousands of troops to Eastern Europe as tensions with Russia escalate over Moscow’s potential invasions of Ukraine, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
The number of troops to be deployed stands at around 3,000, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.
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“There may soon be additional military posture decisions to announce,” Kirby said in a press conference.
Kirby said 2,000 troops would leave the US for Poland and Germany, while an estimated 1,000 soldiers would reposition from Germany to Romania. The estimated 3,000 troops will be in addition to the 8,500 US troops already placed on heightened alert in the United States.
He said these deployments were “unmistakable signals” that the US is ready to defend against aggression.
A senior Pentagon official told the Wall Street Journal that the moves were “meant to deter the threat against the alliance. We are literally willing to put skin in the game.”
Biden’s final decision was reportedly made on Tuesday after meeting with his defense secretary and the top US military general.
“It's important that we send a strong signal to Mr. Putin and to the world,” Kirby said on Wednesday.
Read more: US tells its citizens to leave Belarus immediately due to Russia’s military buildup