7,000 More US Troops Head To Europe Amid Russia Attack On Ukraine
LAGOS FEBRUARY 24TH (NEWSRANGERS)-President Joe Biden on Thursday condemned Russia’s military assault on Ukraine as “a flagrant violation of international law” and vowed further punishment for the aggressors in the days and weeks to come.
That will include sending more U.S. troops to Europe, to supplement both American and NATO Forces there.
Biden directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to order the deployment to Europe of approximately 7,000 additional troops, according to the Pentagon.
“This would comprise an armored brigade combat team with associated capabilities and enablers,” a release stated. “They will deploy to Germany to reassure NATO Allies, deter Russian aggression and be prepared to support a range of requirements in the region. We expect them to depart in the coming days.”
The Russian attack on Ukraine was unjustified, Biden said.
“The Russian military has begun a brutal assault on the people of Ukraine without provocation, without justification, without necessity,” Biden said in a national address from the White House Thursday afternoon. “This is a premeditated attack …
“This aggression cannot go unanswered. If it did. the consequences for America would be much worse. America stands up to bullies. We stand up for freedom. This is who we are.”
The comments came about 16 hours after Russian military forces began attacking military and strategic civilian sites in Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the military intervention was needed to protect civilians there. Ukrainian officials and other world leaders have dismissed that justification as baseless.
In a separate statement on Thursday, Biden and the other leaders of the G7 countries resolved to “respond swiftly to President Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine.” In addition, NATO leaders said they will activate their emergency response force — which includes 8,500 more American servicemembers — in response to the Russian aggression.
Biden on Thursday reiterated that “our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our NATO allies and reassure those allies.”
But he said that the United States will take other steps to confront Russia (to include new sanctions) and defend Ukraine, to include delivering more defensive military equipment to their fighters.
American officials have provided about $650 million worth of defensive equipment in recent weeks, including anti-tank missiles that have already been used by the Ukrainian forces to slow the invading Russians.
Asked what Putin’s goals are in the region, Biden said that he believes the Russian leader “wants to re-establish the former Soviet Union,” an ambition that “is completely contrary to the place where the rest of the world has arrived.”
Biden said whether the world is headed towards another Cold War — the decades-long standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union — depends on Russia’s next actions.
“The rest of the world is in total opposition to what he’s doing, from Asia to South America to Europe and around the world ,” he said. “It’s going to be a cold day for Russia.”
Yahoo Defence News
Short URL: https://newsrangers.com/?p=83927
Posted by News Rangers
on Feb 24 2022. Filed under International, National.
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