The United States deploys 3,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. This comes
after Moscow refused to withdraw its 100,000 troops from Russia's border
with its neighbour.
A total of 1,000 US troops in Germany were sent to Romania, and another
2,000 in the United States were flown to Germany and Poland. Washington
argued that the deployment of thousands of troops was to strengthen NATO
troops in Eastern Europe.
"As long as (President Vladimir Putin) acts aggressively, we will make sure
we convince our NATO allies in eastern Europe that we are there," President
Joe Biden said after the deployment of thousands of troops was announced. .
In response, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said the
move would complicate a compromise between the two sides.
"The deployment of US troops is a destructive measure that increases
military tensions and reduces the scope for political decisions," he said.
Western powers have engaged in intense diplomatic efforts {coupled with
threats of sanctions against Putin's inner circle} to prevent what they fear
as a looming invasion of Ukraine, despite strong opposition from Moscow.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced yesterday he would soon travel to
Moscow to discuss the Ukraine crisis.
French President Emmanuel Macron said a similar trip was possible -
depending on upcoming phone talks with other world leaders.
In Washington, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stressed that the US troop
movement was to demonstrate commitment to the NATO alliance.
According to him, no American soldiers will be sent to fight in Ukraine that
is not a member of NATO. But that is unlikely to assuage the anger of Putin
who accuses the United States and NATO of trying to "contain" Russia by
placing troops and strategic weapons on its borders.
"Ukraine itself is only a tool to this end," Putin said Tuesday in his first
major comments in weeks about the crisis.
Putin has demanded guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO and implicitly
threatened the ex-Soviet nation with a massive military deployment.
Russia also wants NATO and the United States to anticipate the deployment of
missile systems near Russian borders and to withdraw NATO forces in eastern
Europe.
Putin has left the door open for talks, saying he is studying Western
proposals set out last month in response to Russian demands, and he hopes
that eventually all parties will find a solution.
But in a phone call with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday, he
noted NATO's reluctance to adequately address Russia's well-founded
concerns.
The Kremlin also claims to have China's backing in the crisis stalemate, and
that will be shown when Putin meets President Xi Jinping in Beijing
tomorrow.
