“I will send American troops to Eastern Europe and NATO countries soon. Not a lot,” said the American president.
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Joe Biden said on Friday January 28 that he would send “shortly” a small number of American servicemen in Eastern Europe, amid tensions with Moscow over Ukraine. “I will send American troops to Eastern Europe and NATO countries soon. Not many”said the American president to journalists when he got off the plane, on his return from a trip to Pennsylvania.
The United States has already placed 8,500 soldiers on alert to reinforce NATO. Joe Biden has however said and repeated that there was no question of sending American troops to Ukraine, which is not a member of the military alliance. Sending troops to eastern countries would be an additional means of pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who the Americans believe could attack Ukraine in February.
Earlier on Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin indeed estimated that with more than 100,000 Russian troops deployed on Ukraine’s borders, Russia had now amassed sufficient forces for an invasion. However, he stressed that a conflict between Ukraine and Russia “is not inevitable”. “There is still time and scope for diplomacy”, he added during a rare press conference. The United States also seized the UN Security Council on Thursday, calling for a meeting on Monday because of the “clear threat” what does Russia weigh in their eyes on “international peace and security”.