CNN
The Biden administration is in the final stages of identifying specific military units it wants to send to Eastern Europe and writing up the military orders in an effort to deter Russia, which has massed tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine, according to multiple US and defense officials.
No final decision has been made, but CNN reported that President Joe Biden discussed options for bolstering US troop levels in the Baltics and Eastern Europe with his top military officials during a briefing at Camp David on Saturday, according to a senior official.
The potential troop deployments come amid US warnings that a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent. The State Department on Sunday reduced staffing at the US embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, with the departure of nonessential staff and family members out of “an abundance of caution.”
One option the Biden administration is considering is moving between 1,000 to 5,000 troops, both to shore up Eastern European and Baltic allies and so they are available to help get American citizens out, if necessary, according to a senior defense official.
The goal of sending military reinforcements to Eastern Europe would be to provide deterrence and to reassure allies, and there’s been no suggestion US troops would deploy to Ukraine or take part in any combat roles…
