Biden told reporters Friday U.S. troops would move “in the near term.”
President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. troop deployments to reassure NATO allies amid the standoff with Russia over Ukraine.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby was expected to announce the imminent deployment of several thousand U.S. troops — some already in Europe and some from the U.S. — to NATO allies in eastern Europe at a Pentagon briefing Wednesday — the first major movement of U.S. forces in response to concerns Russia will invade Ukraine.
A senior defense official confirmed to ABC News that about 3,000 U.S. troops will be given orders to deploy to Europe or if they’re already in Europe to head to countries in eastern Europe.
The official says that troops from the U.S. will be sent to Europe and that troops based in Germany will be sent further east into eastern Europe.
A U.S. official says one of the units moving into eastern Europe from Germany is an armored Stryker unit.
The announcement comes after Biden told reporters on Friday that he would be moving American forces “in the near term.”
The troop movements are separate from the 8,500 U.S. troops put on “heightened alert” to reinforce NATO’s Response Force if needed — and none would go to Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the escalating tensions on the U.S. and the West for having “ignored” Russia’s key demand that NATO bar Ukraine from joining the organization. The U.S. and NATO allies argue Russia is the aggressor, having already invaded Crimea and massing troops at the border.
This a developing story. Please check back for updates.