Photo: Getty Images
The United States is sending an additional 3,000 troops to Europe amid a tense standoff between Russia and Ukraine. Two thousand soldiers from Fort Bragg in North Carolina be deployed to Germany and Poland. An additional 1,000 troops from the Germany-based infantry Stryker squadron will be relocated to Romania.
“At the president’s direction and following Secretary [Lloyd] Austin’s recommendation, the Department of Defense will reposition certain Europe-based units further east, forward deploy additional U.S.-based units to Europe, and maintain the heightened state of readiness of response forces to meet these commitments,” a senior administration official told NBC News.
The troops are not expected to join the front lines in Ukraine.
“These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are not permanent moves. They respond to current conditions,” the official added.
While the troops are unlikely to enter Ukraine, they could be deployed along the border to help evacuate the roughly 30,000 Americans living in the country if Russia invades.