(Washington) The United States is considering sending up to 5,000 military personnel to the Baltic and Eastern European NATO countries in the face of the risks of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, American media reported on Monday.
Posted at 12:03 p.m.
The deployment could involve between 1,000 and 5,000 troops, warships and fighter jets, the official said. New York Timesadding that this number could increase if conditions deteriorate.
Joe Biden will have a “secure videoconference” at 3 p.m. EST on Monday with several European leaders regarding the situation in Ukraine, the White House said.
As the United States grows increasingly alarmist about the possibility of an imminent attack by Russia, the American president is due to speak from the “Situation Room” with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Polish President Andrzej Duda and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
Meanwhile at the Pentagon, we are busy identifying which units could be deployed, but the final decision has not yet been made.
The option of a US troop deployment comes after talks over the weekend between President Joe Biden and his advisers, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were consulting with allies regarding troop movements and that all scenarios were being considered.
NATO announced Monday to place forces on standby and send ships and fighter planes to reinforce its defenses in Eastern Europe.
The United States, followed by the United Kingdom and Australia, announced on Sunday the withdrawal of part of the personnel from their embassies in Kiev in the face of a “Russian invasion” which could “happen at any moment”, and in the lack of progress in the negotiations between Russia, the United States and the European Union to try to defuse the crisis.
Russia is accused by the West of having massed tens of thousands of soldiers on the Ukrainian borders for an attack, which it denies.
Moscow is demanding guarantees for its security, in particular the rejection of Ukraine’s membership of NATO.
The United States and its allies have warned Russia against heavy sanctions in the event of an invasion of Ukraine.