Washington, Jan 25
The US Department of Defense has announced that nearly 8,500 US troops have been put on heightened alert for a possible deployment due to escalating tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border, but there is no decision on formal deployments.
John Kirby, the Defense Department's spokesperson, said on Monday during a press briefing that putting US forces on heightened alert is to ensure that the US will get ready to respond to a possible decision by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to deploy its 40,000-strong multinational response force known as NRF, which could be shored up on short notice.
"This is really about reassuring the eastern flank of NATO," Kirby said, adding the order, which came from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the direction of President Joe Biden, was about "proving how seriously the US takes our commitment to NATO" and to the alliance's collective defense commitment, Xinhua news agency reported.
"All told, the number of forces that the Secretary has placed on heightened alert comes up to about 8,500 personnel," the spokesperson said.
Kirby stressed that no decision has been made on deploying US forces, and that the troops on high alert include "additional brigade combat teams, logistics personnel, medical support, aviation support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance."
The spokesperson also reiterated Biden's position that the US will not be sending its troops into Ukraine in the event that war breaks out between Kiev and Moscow, but that the West is still determined to deter the Kremlin from launching an invasion through the threat of sanctions and military aid to Ukraine.
The Pentagon's prepare-to-deploy order came one day after the State Department authorised the voluntary departure of US government employees at the US Embassy in Kiev and required their family members to leave Ukraine.
Britain withdrawing some embassy staff from Ukraine
London, Jan 25 (IANS) Britain has begun to withdraw staff from its embassy in Kiev, the country's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has said.
Some embassy staff and dependents are being withdrawn from Ukraine, but the embassy remains open and will continue to carry out essential work, it added.
"The FCDO advise against all travel to Donetsk oblast, Luhansk oblast and Crimea. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Ukraine," it said.
Britain's move came after the US Department of State on Sunday ordered eligible family members of staff at its embassy in Ukraine to leave the country, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it considered the US decision "premature and a manifestation of excessive caution."
Meanwhile, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told reporters on Monday that "we are not going to do the same thing because we don't know any specific reasons."
