The troops join the 8,500 soldiers placed on alert since the end of January by Washington to be deployed as part of NATO’s Rapid Response Force if necessary. “These moves are an unequivocal message to the world that we are ready to reassure our NATO allies and determined to defend them against any aggression,” US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
However, it is only about reinforcing the “eastern flank” of the Atlantic Alliance. In response, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko considered that the move would make a compromise between the two sides difficult, as they are “destructive steps that increase military tension and reduce the possibility of a political decision,” according to the Russian agency Interfax.
“These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine,” which is not a NATO member, Kirby said, stressing that it was a temporary redeployment. “We do not believe that conflict is inevitable,” he insisted, reiterating that US diplomacy had offered Russia “a path to detente.”
Russia is accused by Westerners of planning an invasion of its pro-Western neighbor Ukraine, on whose borders it has deployed some 100,000 troops for weeks.
To “dissuade” Russian President Vladimir Putin from going on the offensive, the Americans and Europeans are threatening “unprecedented” economic sanctions and military support for Kiev.
Russia denies planning an invasion, saying it just wants to ensure their safety. But he believes that a de-escalation of this crisis is only possible if NATO’s enlargement policy is ended and its military capabilities are withdrawn from Eastern Europe.
In a phone call with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Putin told him he had observed “NATO’s unwillingness to adequately respond to Russia’s well-founded concerns,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Although a Downing Street spokesman reported that both agreed on the need to find a “peaceful solution”.
The Spanish newspaper El País published details of the US responses to the Russian demands, which have not been denied. In them, Washington proposes that the rivals promise not to deploy offensive military means in Ukraine, that Moscow inspect certain military infrastructures that concern it in Europe and that both countries agree on arms control measures.
The United States also says it is willing to discuss the “indivisibility of security.” The Kremlin is based on this concept to demand the withdrawal of NATO from its neighborhood, arguing that the security of some cannot be achieved at the expense of that of others, despite the right of each State -and therefore of Ukraine- to choose their alliances. Moscow is currently preparing a formal response.
Meanwhile, Poland and Romania said they appreciated the US move.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Biden’s order was the result of several weeks of talks with allies, and not a reaction to anything specific in the past two days.
“It’s not permanent,” he said of the deployment. “Obviously if Russia decides to de-escalate then, without a doubt, that would impact the position of strength.”
Source: Ambito
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