On Monday, the United States (US) Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin put 8,500 US Military service members on high alert to facilitate “rapid deployment” in case the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) requires assistance to counter Russia’s military hostility along the Ukrainian border.
In a press conference, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby stressed that currently the troops are on “higher alert only” and added that no decision regarding their deployment has been made yet. Kirby elaborated that bulk of the 8,500 troops would be ground troops that will boost the defence capabilities of NATO allies on the Eastern flank if needed. The troops will be a part of the NATO Response Force, a 40,000 strong multinational troop force.
“It’s very clear that the Russians have no intention right now of deescalating,” Kirby said, adding that Washington’s move is a display of assurance to its NATO allies. Kirby also noted that Defence Secretary Austin wants troops to be “prepared to respond to a range of contingencies.”
On the same day, US President Joe Biden held a call with various leaders from the European Union (EU) to address concerns over Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. The call was attended by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom along with chiefs from the European Commission, European Council and NATO. Biden said he had a “very, very, very good meeting” saying that there was “total unanimity” among the participants of the meeting.
A White House statement elaborated that during the call, the leaders reviewed recent diplomatic talks between Washington and Moscow that addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s security guarantees to the US and NATO over Ukraine. The leaders expressed their unified support for Ukraine while also warning that they are prepared to “impose massive consequences and severe economic costs” on Russia.
Putin’s security demands include a call against NATO’s expansion towards Russia, particularly the granting of NATO membership status to Ukraine and the halting of US missile deployment in NATO territory near Russian borders. Russia has threatened to deploy nuclear missiles against NATO if its security demands are not met.
Additionally, on Monday, NATO announced that it is placing its forces on standby with additional ships and jets sent to the Alliance’s eastern parts in an effort to deter Russian hostility. Both Lithuania and Bulgaria received defence support from Denmark and Spain respectively, with France committing to send troops to Romania under NATO supervision. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the move saying that “NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to protect and defend all Allies, including by reinforcing the eastern part of the Alliance.”
For months, the US and its Western allies have raised alarms over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, citing the presence of 100,000 Russian troops along the Ukrainian border. Discussions over a diplomatic solution to the situation have ended in a deadlock. President Biden has hinted at the possibility of hosting a trilateral summit with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in an effort to deescalate tensions.