How can the US respond militarily to the crisis in Ukraine? Understand – International

The Pentagon has announced a new round of military deployments Eastern Europe Reply Tuesday, 22nd For Russia’s recent actions against Ukraine, Sending warplanes, attack helicopters and infantry to strengthen security in the region. However, US President Joe Biden says no US troops will fight in Ukraine.

“These additional personnel are being re-employed to reassure our NATO allies, to prevent any possible aggression against the Allied member states, and to train with the host national forces,” the statement said. Pentagon In a statement. “They will report to General Dodd Walters, commander of the U.S. European Command.”

However, there are some details to consider:

Why is the US ready to send troops to Eastern Europe but not to Ukraine?

In short: because they have obligations.

After World War II, several allies in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide joint defense against the Soviet Union. One of the founding principles of the Coalition is that an attack on a NATO country is considered an attack on all, and NATO nations must, by agreement, remain united in times of crisis.

Over the years, NATO has expanded from 12 countries in 1949 to 30 today, and has grown to include former Soviet republics such as Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. This angered the Russian president. Vladimir Putin. Other former Soviet countries, especially Ukraine and Georgia, have sought membership, but their demands have been somewhat weakened by allowing members to defend NATO’s other countries against Russia.

Putin promised that Ukraine would not completely free itself from its sphere of influence once it joined NATO, and complained bitterly about the expansion of the alliance. Now we have to solve the problem somehow to solve the crisis.

How many American troops are stationed in Europe, and why?

Even in peacetime, the Pentagon’s presence in Europe was enormous – part of World War II. More than 90,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany alone, or about 35,000, near the mainland or by boat.

Military relations across the continent are driven by agreements established in the liberal world order, a structure established after World War II that prioritized world peace, democracy and the rule of law, as well as the struggle against the Soviet Union. Cold War.

Although the structure required significant U.S. defense costs and deployments, it provided the country with sites that proved to be invaluable in the region. For example, most U.S. service members who needed emergency surgery after injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan were treated at a U.S. military hospital in Landstull, Germany.

Other major concentrations of US troops in Europe are in Italy, England and Spain. The United States maintains close military ties with other countries, including some close to Ukraine, such as Poland.

What has the US military done in recent days?

The U.S. military sent several thousand troops to Poland from the 82nd Air Force in Fort Brock, North Carolina, in the first steps.

Soldiers were not stopped in Ukraine with tanks or other heavy weapons needed to confront Russia. But they are a visible sign of American presence near the Polish city of Presmis, a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the military would not go inside UkraineBut they may have a wide range of tasks beyond the border, including providing humanitarian assistance in the event of a wave of bloody refugees.

The Pentagon this month sent a unit of about 1,000 troops operating striker armored vehicles from Germany to Romania, where they have already joined about 900 U.S. troops there. A small company of more than 100 soldiers was sent to Bulgaria.

The measures announced by the Pentagon on Tuesday increase the variety of weapons coming into the area. The pilots of the AH-64 Apache helicopters and their support crews, as well as about 800 paratroopers from the 173rd Air Force Regiment, are engaged to soldiers based in Vicenza, Italy.

How are other services involved?

Although most of the U.S. military deployments announced so far in the crisis were made by the military, every defense department is already involved.

Notably, Navy Harry S. The Truman aircraft carrier strike team – a powerful build-up of ships including an aircraft carrier named after the former president – has been in the area for weeks. On Monday, the strike team was in the Ionian Sea off the coasts of Greece and Italy, participating in a NATO exercise involving ships, aircraft and submarines, according to naval reports.

The Navy also flew P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft – specializing in hunting submarines – from Italy over the Mediterranean. Russian warplanes intercepted them, in some cases identifying the Pentagon as unsafe and unprofessional.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that eight Air Force F-35 fighter jets would be sent to Eastern Europe as part of its expansion efforts. Other fighter jets and surveillance aircraft could be seen flying over the area for several days, and military officials highlighted the B-52 bombing crew that landed in the area. Czech Republic On Monday.

The Marine Corps’ role in the crisis has so far been minimal, but included the embassy security team in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, until the United States left the diplomatic compound last week. Naval officials told reporters last month that the United States had sent eight additional embassy guards to Kiev to strengthen security before departure.

What can NATO do?

U.S. troops stationed in the crisis have so far reported to the U.S. European Command, the geographical headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, overseeing US operations across the continent. But NATO allies are also sending weapons to Ukraine and sending troops to strengthen forces in Eastern Europe.

However, there is another big step that NATO can take. The coalition has a multinational unit called the NATO Response Force, which has about 40,000 troops. NATO never activated the force because it required the approval of 30 coalition members.

From the Russian invasion Crimean Peninsula In 2014, NATO took a number of steps to strengthen security in and around Ukraine. Includes the establishment of a multinational brigade in Romania, an air patrol mission, and a High Preparedness Task Force or VJTF that will be on standby alert at any time.