Prior to a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior US official has been quoted as expressing US openness to respond to potential calls NATO’s eastern Europe member states to send American troops, if there would be aggression against Ukraine, British news portal The Guardian reports.
Before the summit meeting on Tuesday, December 7, the US official pointed out in a briefing to reporters that the first Russian military intervention in Ukraine led to more US troops and equipment being deployed in eastern Europe, and that there would be a similar response this time.
Read also: American officials to boycott Beijing Olympic Games
«It would certainly be the case that if Putin moved in, there would be an increasing request from eastern flank allies, and a positive response from the United States, for additional forces and capabilities and exercises to take place there to ensure the safety and security of our eastern flank allies in the face of that kind of aggression in Ukraine,» the official said. However, it was made clear that Biden would not be threatening a direct US military response.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Monday spoke to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and reiterated Washington’s «unwavering support» in the face of «Russian aggression,» the US state department said. The current concern about possible military aggression is linked with an estimated 100,000 Russian troops already gathered inside Russia, but within striking distance of the border of Ukraine, the crisis is at its worst since 2015, The Guardian reports.
US speaks of willingness to send American troops to eastern NATO, if Ukraine attacked
