President Joe Biden has promised that the US military will not fight Russian soldiers, instead choosing for “swift and strong” economic penalties in an attempt to prevent the Kremlin from invading Ukraine.
For weeks, the Pentagon has been relocating soldiers in friendly nations in eastern Europe, moving military from the US to Europe, and redeploying those already on the continent to former Soviet bloc countries.
The United States maintains around 90,000 troops in Europe, the majority of whom are stationed in Germany.
During a speech to the country on Tuesday, Biden said that he had approved the deployment of US personnel and equipment currently stationed in Europe to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. It was the latest in a series of military maneuvers by the United States as the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine heated up.
While the nations bordering Russia on the west are members of NATO, Ukraine is not, which is a major factor in the war. In order to counterbalance Western dominance in the area, Moscow has attempted to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine in a televised address on Wednesday, arguing that an invasion was required to defend people.
Will the US send soldiers to Ukraine?
US force moves in the region, according to Biden and Pentagon officials, are both transitory and defensive.
“These are totally defensive moves on our part. We have no intention of fighting Russia,” Biden said during a Tuesday address to the nation. “We want to send an unmistakable message, though, that the United States and its allies will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
The most recent maneuvers, according to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, are “are short-term, temporary, rotational redeployments,” and there are no current plans to permanently post soldiers on NATO’s eastern flank.
“Right now, we’re focused on reassuring the allies. And we’re going to be in constant contact with them and consultation about what that looks like and how you do that, given the current tensions on the continent. It’s too early to tell whether any of this is going to lead to some other longer-term posture changes, we’re just not at that point right now,” Kirby said.
Where Are American Forces Stationed?
The US already maintains roughly 90,000 troops in Europe, with Germany accounting for more than a third of them. However, some of those soldiers have been reassigned to NATO’s eastern flank in preparation of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On Tuesday, air and ground forces already stationed in Europe were instructed to deploy to NATO’s northeastern and southeastern flanks. According to the Pentagon, roughly 800 troops are part of an infantry battalion task group going from Italy to the Baltic area.
Eight F-35 fighter jets and 20 AH-64 helicopters from Germany, as well as another 12 AH-64 helicopters from Greece, have been ordered to deploy to the Baltic area.
These additional movements came on top of an estimated 1,000 US troops already stationed in Europe, including a regiment from Vilseck, Germany, which delivered armored battle vehicles to Romania. Earlier this month, groups of 125 US Army personnel performed training operations in Bulgaria and Hungary.
A total of 5,000 US troops have been sent to Europe, including 4,700 troops in Germany and an infantry brigade combat team in Poland. The 160 Florida National Guard men who had been stationed in Ukraine since November were sent to other parts of Europe.
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Is Nato Going To Send Troops?
NATO has access to around 40,000 troops in the NATO Response Force but has yet to deploy the force. Approximately 5,000 troops have been placed on high alert.
While certain NATO nations have been supporting Ukraine with weaponry and supplies, the alliance as a whole has not. Ukraine is not a member of NATO.
Since Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, NATO has been beefing up its presence in northern Europe, with roughly 5,000 troops and equipment stationed there.
Will There Be A Military Draught In The United States?
The United States military, which today has a voluntary force of approximately 1.4 million soldiers, hasn’t utilized a draught to register new troops since 1973, and there are no indications that one will be used anytime soon.
Both Congress and the White House would have to agree to reinstate the draught. The Military Selective Service Act would have to be amended by Congress, and the president would have to sign it.
The US Selective Service System has the names of about 17 million draft-eligible men on file.
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