President Joe Biden has ordered 2,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland and Germany, amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Biden also deployed 1,000 troops from Germany to Romania, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Reports said the troop deployment by Biden was to demonstrate to both allies and foes America’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank
Russia fired back with a sharply worded objection, calling the deployments unfounded and “destructive.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin also had a new telephone exchange with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
But readouts from both governments showed no progress, with Putin saying the West was giving no ground on Russia’s security concerns.
Johnson expressed deep concern about Russia’s “hostile activity” on the Ukrainian border, referring to Putin’s buildup of 100,000 troops there.
The Biden administration is aiming to demonstrate U.S. resolve without undermining efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Biden notably has not sent military reinforcements to the three Baltic countries on NATO’s eastern flank — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — that are former states of the Soviet Union.
No U.S. troops are being sent to Ukraine, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday said the administration has stopped calling a Russian invasion “imminent,” because that word implies Washington knows Putin has made a decision to invade.
Officials say Putin’s intentions remain unclear.
