President Joe Biden has approved additional US military deployments to eastern Europe amid a standoff with Russia over Ukraine and the Pentagon is expected to announce on Wednesday troops will deploy in the coming days, a US official said.
Biden has formally approved the troop movements, the official told Reuters.
The US military last week put about 8,500 troops on alert to be ready to deploy to Europe if needed, potentially on very short notice, in the latest effort to reassure jittery NATO allies in the face of a Russian military buildup near Ukraine.
Biden is sending roughly 2,000 troops from the United States to Poland and Germany this week, a US official told Reuters. The Wall Street Journal reported the troops would come from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
About 1,000 troops will be repositioned from Germany to Romania, on NATO'S eastern flank closest to Russia, the official told Reuters.
The Pentagon this week suggested that troop movements could come from within Europe.
The US troops notified of ready-to-deploy orders last week included additional brigade combat teams, logistics personnel, medical support, aviation support, and troops forces involved with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.