The US will not send troops to Russia to start a war
Key Takeaways:
- The US announced on Sunday that it would not be sending troops to start a war with Russia after deploying 3,000 extra soldiers to Germany and Eastern Europe in response to the Ukraine standoff with Moscow.
- According to US officials, the Kremlin has accrued 110,000 troops along the border with its pro-Western neighbour.
After deploying 3,000 extra soldiers to Germany and Eastern Europe in response to the Ukraine standoff with Moscow, the US announced that it would not be sending soldiers to start a war with Russia on Sunday.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan informed Fox News Sunday that President Joe Biden "has been clear for months now that the U.s have not sent forces to start or fight the war with Russia in Ukraine."
"To defend NATO territory, we have sent forces to Europe."
"A military escalation, as well as invasion of Ukraine, could happen at any time," Sullivan said on NBC's Meet the Press.
"We believe the Russians have put in place the capability to mount a significant military operation into Ukraine," he said, adding that "we have been working hard to prepare a response."
"Our allies have rallied behind President Biden. He's bolstered and reassured our eastern flank allies, provided material assistance to the Ukrainians, and offered Russia a diplomatic path."
On Sunday, Ukraine insisted that diplomacy had a better chance of resolving the escalating tensions with Russia than an attack.
According to US officials, the Kremlin has amassed 110,000 troops along the border with its pro-Western neighbor. Still, intelligence assessments have yet to determine whether President Vladimir Putin has concluded to invade.
In recent days, officials briefed Congress and European allies on how the Russian force massing on the border is growing at a rate that will provide Putin with the firepower he needs for a full-scale invasion — around 150,000 soldiers — in a matter of weeks.
Putin, they said, wants a range of options at his disposal, from a limited campaign in Ukraine's pro-Russian Donbas region to a full-scale invasion.