Press room at the Pentagon in Washington DC  (Credit: US DOD)

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

WASHINGTON   DC  –    President Joe Biden gave the go ahead for deployment of 3,000  US troops to Europe as Russia-Ukraine tensions rise. The United States will move the 3,000 service members to Romania, Poland and Germany in response to Russia’s continuing build-up of forces on its western border with Ukraine and in Belarus, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said Wednesday during a news conference.  The action follows  the Pentagon’s  placing some 8,500 U.S.-based troops on heightened alert last week for possible deployment to Europe.  The Pentagon spokesperson stressed these deployments are “prudent and temporary” and done in consultation with European allies. He said that the forces are not going to fight in Ukraine.

“The current situation demands that we reinforce the deterrent and defensive posture on NATO’s eastern flank. President [Joe] Biden has been clear that the United States will respond to the growing threat to Europe’s security and stability. Our commitment to NATO Article Five and collective defense remains ironclad.”

-Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby

Photo by Gary Raynaldo /  ©Diplomatic Times)  Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon in Washington D.C

Kirby said the deployment of the 3,000 troops demonstrates America’s commitment to the defense of NATO allies, adding that  Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed a full range of military capabilities on its western border. While U.S. officials still believe Putin has not made up his mind to invade Ukraine again, he certainly has the capabilities needed to do so, the press secretary said. 

U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment soldiers maneuver a Stryker armored vehicle during a situational training exercise at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, January 11, 2022. A Stryker squadron is deploying to Romania in the coming days in response to Russian actions. (Photo By: Markus Rauchenberger, Army)

Kirby said a 1,000-member Army Stryker squadron will deploy to Romania from Germany. They will join roughly 900 U.S. service members already in that country. “This force is designed to deter aggression and enhance our defensive capabilities in frontline allied states,” he said. The troops will begin moving out in a couple of days. The deployment is at the express invitation of the Romanian government. 

The U.S. Is Escalating Tensions – Russia UN Ambassador

Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, is the President of the United Nations Security Council for month of February 2022.  (UN Photo/Manuel Elías)

Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of February, accused the U.S. of escalating tensions in the Ukraine situation.

“I don’t know why the US is escalating tensions and at the same time accusing Russia of escalating tensions.  This all is linked to alleged presence of Russian troops at the Russian-Ukrainian border. That is not true. Russian troops are not at the Russian-Ukrainian border. They are where they normally stay. Whether they are more than normal or less than normal or as they usually are, I have no idea. 100,000, 120,000 — I don’t know where these figures came from. Ukrainians are saying 136,000. We never announced how many troops there are. And I don’t know who was counting them. And you rightly said that they massively pump up Ukraine with armaments. It looks not only provocative, but dangerous as well.”

-Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia