{"id":39447,"date":"2022-02-18T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T10:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/02\/18\/us-allies-watch-for-russian-attempt-to-justify-ukraine-invasion\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:48:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:48:38","slug":"us-allies-watch-for-russian-attempt-to-justify-ukraine-invasion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2022\/02\/18\/us-allies-watch-for-russian-attempt-to-justify-ukraine-invasion\/","title":{"rendered":"US consulting with NATO, allies, about future troop deployments to Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Russia announced massive drills of its nuclear forces Friday amid soaring East-West tensions<\/a> as the U.S. issued some of its starkest, most detailed warnings yet about how a Russian invasion of Ukraine <\/a>might unfold. Western allies went on high alert for any attempts by the Kremlin to create a false pretext for a new war in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. President Joe Biden sounded unusually dire Thursday, as he warned that Washington saw no signs of a promised Russian withdrawal \u2014 but instead saw more troops moving toward the border with Ukraine, indicating Moscow could invade within days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery indication we have is they\u2019re prepared to go into Ukraine, attack Ukraine,\u201d Biden told reporters at the White House. He said the U.S. has \u201creason to believe\u201d that Russia is \u201cengaged in a false flag operation<\/a> to have an excuse to go in,\u201d but he did not provide details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western fears focus on an estimated 150,000 Russian troops \u2014 including about 60% of Russia\u2019s overall ground forces \u2014 posted around Ukraine\u2019s borders. The Kremlin insists it has no plans to invade, but it has long considered Ukraine part of its sphere of influence and NATO\u2019s eastward expansion an existential threat. A key demand in this crisis is that NATO promise never to allow Ukraine to join.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin repeated his stance that instead of returning its troops home, Russia continues to prepare to attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRussia has announced that it is moving its forces back to garrison,\u201d said Austin, speaking to reporters at a NATO defense minister\u2019s meeting. We have yet to see that. In fact, we see more forces moving into the, into that border region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia is \u201ccontinuing to prepare by doing things that you would expect military elements to do as they were preparing to launch an attack. So it includes a number of things in terms of moving closer to the border, dispersal of troops, increasing logistical capabilities. All of the indicators continue to indicate that he will maintain the capability to launch an attack at most anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin said he is consulting with NATO and allies about additional U.S. troop deployments to Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn terms of whether or not whether I anticipate to have more deployments, in support of allies and partners, I don\u2019t have anything to announce today,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I would also say that we consult with allies and partners and make sure that we are aligned with them as we as we consider any type of deployment. We will consult with NATO and our allies and partners, to make sure that we\u2019re fully coordinated in any steps that we take going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defense secretary repeated the U.S. commitment to its NATO allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve also heard me say that we are committed to Article V. And we are very serious about that. And we will, we will do what\u2019s necessary to help defend our partners and allies and to live up to the premise of Article V…And as I said earlier, what Mr. Putin wanted, or did not want, was a stronger NATO on his flank. And that\u2019s exactly what he has today. And that\u2019s exactly what I have going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t