The US is moving a “small number” of troops closer to Ukraine in preparation for a supporting role to help the 40,000-strong NATO response force to defend allied nations if Russia decides to invade Ukraine.
The news comes as an Israeli journalist reports Israeli officials do not believe Russia will go ahead with an invasion.
Writing for Axios, journalist Barak Ravid quoted Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday as saying Israeli officials “don’t see a violent confrontation soon.”
Lapid told Ravid that Israeli officials “also don’t think a world war is about to start there.”
But US military officials are not yet convinced.
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it is sending 2,000 troops stationed at Fort Bragg, NC to eastern Europe to support the defense of America’s NATO allies. Defense Department press secretary John Kirby told reporters at a briefing the troops are to be deployed to Germany and Poland in the next few days.
In addition, 1,000 troops already stationed in Germany are to be moved to Romania. Kirby emphasized the deployments were “not permanent moves,” adding they were “designed to respond to the current security environment.” All are to remain under US command.
Russia Moves Blood, Medical Supplies Near Ukraine Border
More than 100,000 Russian troops and combat medical supplies are amassed along the border with Ukraine and Biden administration officials are warning a Russian military invasion of Ukraine is “imminent.” US officials have issued warnings, threats and appeals to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to “step back from the brink” and choose “the path of diplomacy” over war.
Kirby reiterated that the forces “are not going to fight in Ukraine,” but were intended to “ensure the robust defense of our NATO allies.” NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg told reporters last month that none of the allied forces would be deployed to Kyiv.
That having been said, the Pentagon placed 8,500 troops on high alert to deploy, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters this past weekend.
According to the Axios report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinked called Lapid on Monday for the second time in recent weeks to ask Israel to urge Russia to de-escalate its forces along the border with Ukraine.
Israel has cordial relations with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Lapid told Ravid he is planning to discuss the issue with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days.
The Israeli foreign minister said Israel is in a complicated situation because Russia hosts the second-largest Jewish community in the world outside Israel. The fifth largest Jewish community is in Ukraine.
“We have a duty to act with caution about the Russia-Ukraine crisis that no other country has,” Lapid told Ravid.
