JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden has said he will move troops to NATO allies in Eastern Europe in the near future, marking a new phase in Washington's response to an escalating Russia-Ukraine border that fears it could lead to an invasion.
"I will be moving US troops to Eastern Europe in NATO countries in the near future," President Biden told reporters when asked about a timeline for moving troops, adding he did not have any updates on the situation in Ukraine.
A total of 8,500 US troops were placed on high alert earlier this week to prepare for deployment to Eastern Europe, including units with "medical, aviation, logistical and formation support," according to a Pentagon spokesman.
President Biden's comments came hours after the top US military general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be 'terrible' for the country, resulting in "significant" casualties as he urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a diplomatic route instead. .
"Given the type of force that is being put together, if it were to be deployed to Ukraine, it would be significant, very significant, and it would result in a large number of casualties," Gen Milley told a Pentagon news conference.
"You can imagine what it would be like in congested urban areas, along roads and so on. It would be terrible. It would be terrible. And it was unnecessary. And we think a diplomatic outcome is the way to go here."
General Milley, who along with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin briefed reporters on Friday on US military preparations, spoke about Ukraine's geography, noting that when "high water levels" freeze, "it makes it optimal conditions for cross-country passage and vehicle maneuvering. wheel."
"There are a lot of people and very dense population centers all over Ukraine. And if war breaks out in the scale and scope possible, the civilian population will suffer greatly," he said.
Milley's statement contradicts a message that came from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Speaking to President Biden by telephone on Thursday, the two leaders disagreed about the urgency of the threat posed by Russia, and Zelensky repeated his view while speaking in Ukraine on Friday that such rhetoric risks causing panic and destabilizing his country's economy.
"They say tomorrow is war. This means panic," Zelensky told reporters.
But Milley said he thought Russia's actions felt different from previous escalations. "It's greater in scale and scope in mass power than anything we've seen in recent memory, and I think you have to go back long enough to the Cold War days to see something this big," he said.
Gen Milley further noted that the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian military have improved since 2014, "but they need additional assistance to defend themselves especially against an invading force as large as Russia today."
However, Milley insisted, "if Russia chooses to attack Ukraine, it will not be free of cost, in terms of casualties, or other significant effect."
Milley underlined that the US had no intention of deploying "offensive forces" anywhere to "attack Russia," adding the current situation between Russia and Ukraine was "completely engineered by Russia and President Putin."
Minister Austin said no decision had yet been made to deploy US troops on high alert to Eastern Europe. He said the main goal of the troops, which will primarily be deployed to support NATO's rapid response forces, is to "convince our allies."
"It's about our allies trusting us. So that's what we're really focused on. And we, you know, President Putin, at some point, will reveal what he thinks. But then again, I'm not sure he made the final decision. about what he's going to do," said Minister Austin.
To note, the United States requested Monday's United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, which it sees as an opportunity for Russia "to shed light on its extraordinary military build-up on Ukraine's borders, other threats and destabilizing actions," the senior administration official said.
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