All the bluster and conscientiousness over a possible civil war in America has been superseded by concern about military conflict with Russia. President Biden has answered Russian President Putin’s deployment of 100,000 troops to the Ukraine border by placing 8,500 U.S. troops on heightened alert.
On Tuesday, Biden told reporters that “We have no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine.” He warned Putin that he faced “serious economic consequences if he moves.”
Earlier Biden implied he was ready to counter if Russian troops made a “minor incursion” into Ukraine, a comment that raised questions about what he meant by a minor incursion, and the extent to which it might provoke a counterattack.
But he insisted on Tuesday that there wasn’t “gonna be any American forces moving into Ukraine.” If deployed, the U.S. forces will merely be placed in NATO territory.
In a move that indicated unity between the U.S. and NATO, the organization has reinforced its eastern borders with warships and fighter jets.
It remains a troubling issue of the military advance on Ukraine borders, reminding world leaders of the annexation of Crimea in 2014. A deployment of so many troops for some military experts is more than an exercise in intimidation and a threat to keep Ukraine out of NATO.
Biden’s move was made in concert with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recommendation and in cooperation with European nations, including Denmark which is sending a frigate and F-16 warplanes, and Spain is sending fighter jets to Bulgaria, according to several news accounts.
Meanwhile, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told the press that if NATO decides to activate a Response Force, the U.S. will contribute a range of military units. “It is a NATO call to make,” he said. “For our part, we wanted to make sure that we were ready in case that call should come. And that means making sure that units that would contribute to it are ready as they can be…on a short notice.”
Biden is once more in brinkmanship as we wait for the next shoe to drop. Can Biden stare down Putin?