NATO announced on Monday that it has begun sending fighter jets and ships to reinforce eastern Europe and put troops on standby in response to Russia's increasing military force on the Ukraine border.
The deployment of military equipment came after the US Department of Defense announced that it had put around 8,500 American troops on heightened alert and were waiting to be deployed to the region in case Russia pursues to invade Ukraine, per Al Jazeera.
Tensions soar as Russia massed an estimated 100,000 troops along Ukraine's border, surrounding the country from the north, east, and south.
Moscow denies the alleged invasion plans and denounces the moves of the US and its Western allies as "hysteria." It even said that the actions of the West are proof that Russia is the one being the target of aggression, as per Reuters.
US, Western Allies Gearing Up To Deter Russian Aggression
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden held a secure video call conference with European leaders on Monday to campaign for unity in resolving the Ukraine crisis.
According to a White House statement, Biden discussed joint measures with the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland to prevent future Russian aggression against Ukraine, including the implementation of enormous sanctions and heavy economic penalties on Russia. The leaders also discussed security on NATO's eastern flank.
Earlier, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the series of deployments announced by US allies and remarked that NATO is ready to take "all necessary measures" to address "deterioration" of the "security environment" by bolstering "collective defense."
NATO currently maintains some 4,000 troops in multinational battalions in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, backed up by tanks, air defenses, and intelligence and surveillance units.
US Troops Are Just Waiting For Orders
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued the preparation for deployment orders of the 8,500 troops at the direction of President Biden to prepare for a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine that could be imminent, according to officials.
The majority of the US troops on high alert will support NATO's rapid response force, but they will also be "postured to be ready for any additional situations."
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stressed there is no final decision to deploy US troops had been made as of Monday afternoon, but the United States has decided to gear up its forces at home and abroad, "so they are prepared to respond to a range of contingencies, including support to the NATO response force if it is activated," per CNN.
According to media reports, the Biden administration has already reached the final phase of identifying specific military units it would send to Eastern Europe.
Previously, the US State Department urged all family members of embassy personnel and US citizens in Ukraine to flee the country as soon as possible, citing the potential of a Russian incursion owing to Moscow's force buildup on the border.
The Biden administration committed to supplying Kyiv with an additional $200 million in military aid to help strengthen its defensive capabilities in the event of a Russian invasion. Over the weekend, some of the assistance, including military equipment, began arriving in Ukraine.
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