As Russia’s Ukraine threat grows, US puts troops on alert for deployment

Washington: Fears of a Russian invasion into Ukraine have intensified, with the US putting up to 8500 troops on heightened alert, NATO sending ships and fighter jets to Eastern Europe, and the UK warning of “violent and bloody” consequences if the Kremlin strikes.

After weeks of diplomatic talks designed to de-escalate Russia’s aggression, the Biden administration held a secure video call with European leaders on Tuesday AEDT to discuss an expansion of American military involvement in the region amid growing concern over President Vladimir Putin’s intentions.

A Tu-95 bomber at a Russian airbase. Russia has intensified its military drills.Credit: AP

“I had a very, very, very good meeting - total unanimity with all the European leaders,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “We’ll talk about it later.”

The talks come less than a day after the US State Department ordered the family members of US embassy staff to leave the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and urged all non-essential staff and Americans to depart the country.

Australia and the UK have also taken America’s lead in urging their citizens to leave, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning that such a potential incursion by Russia would be a “painful, violent and bloody business”.

“I think it’s very important that people in Russia understand that this could be a new Chechnya,” he said, in reference to the brutal conflict of the 1990s as the Soviet Union disintegrated.

President Joe Biden knows that cutting Russian banks off the US dollar could hurt the global financial system.Credit: AP

The growing concern that tens of thousands of Russian troops massed along the Ukrainian border would soon invade came despite Russia claiming it has no plans to do so, and as Ukraine described the embassy departures as premature and a “manifestation of excess caution” by Washington.

The Pentagon said on Monday that it had up to 8500 troops on heightened alert, in order to reassure NATO allies that the US was prepared to deploy additional resources if needed.

Asked what had shifted, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the President had made it clear for weeks “that military action by Russia could come at any time” and the US would act accordingly.

NATO also said on Monday that its members are “putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployments in eastern Europe”.

“I welcome Allies contributing additional forces,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. “NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to protect and defend all Allies, including by reinforcing the eastern part of the Alliance.”

President Biden held a secure video call with European leaders today, such as European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Stoltenberg.

The leaders “reiterated their continued concern about the Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders and expressed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the White House said.

After the call, the French president’s office said Emmanuel Macron would speak “in the coming days” with President Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

“De-escalation requires firm and credible warnings to Russia, which requires constant coordination between European partners and allies, and a stepped-up dialogue with Russia,” Macron’s office said in a statement.

Ireland meanwhile has criticised Russian naval exercises planned for February off its coast as “not welcome,” CNN reported.

In the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, Biden has said that he does not wish to enter another conflict and therefore none of the military options being so far considered include deploying additional American troops directly to Ukraine.

Instead, the administration has focused on tough economic sanctions, including export control measures that could halt Russia’s ability to import smartphones and key aircraft and automobile components.

“We have been consulting with allies and deployments, and refining plans for all scenarios,” Psaki said during her daily briefing on Monday.

“We have a sacred obligation to support the security of our eastern flank countries. I think it’s important to remember who the aggressor is here. It is not the United States, it is not these eastern flank countries. It is Russia, who has tens of thousands of troops on the border of Ukraine. They have the power to de-escalate and we would certainly welcome that.”

The latest developments are underscored by a broader political debate over whether the US has taken enough of an active role against Putin.

Former US president Donald Trump also weighed in, issuing a statement saying “what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine would never have happened under the Trump Administration. Not even a possibility!”

In a move that sent shockwaves through democracies at the time, Russia exploited social media to intervene in the US presidential election of 2016 in an effort to help Trump win.

Today’s developments also come after the White House was forced into damage control last week, following a diplomatic gaffe in which Biden suggested a “minor incursion” by Russian President Vladimir Putin into Ukraine might not invite full-scale US pushback.

White House officials spent a day cleaning up the president’s statement, which was made during a rare, two-hour press conference designed to mark Biden’s first year in office.

Despite the escalating tensions, the US this month agreed to provide written answers to a list of Russian demands. The idea of another discussion between Biden and Putin has also not been ruled out in the hope of resolving the crisis.

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