President Joe Biden said Friday he would be sending American troops to Eastern Europe as the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to weigh on the U.S. and its allies.
Biden, speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews upon returning from a trip to Pittsburgh, added that “not a lot” of soldiers would be involved “in the near term.”
He did not name any countries where troops might be deployed or elaborate further in brief comments. “These units, all told, include medical support, aviation support, logistics support, and of course combat formations,” Kirby said.
“These forces are on heightened preparedness to deploy. They have not been activated.” He added that the U.S. would accelerate delivery of defensive weapons to Ukraine, without providing details on what he called both “lethal” and “non-lethal” assistance. Bloomberg
Separately, the U.S. and the European Union are zeroing in on a package of sanctions against Russia should President Vladimir Putin decide to invade Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter and documents seen by Bloomberg.
The measures would broadly fall into several categories including: restrictions on the refinancing of Russian sovereign debt, financial sanctions, and the singling out of individuals and entities close to the Kremlin.– Bloomberg
