Biden Says He Will Send Troops to Eastern Europe and NATO Countries

President Joe Biden speaks to the press about the situation in Ukraine, after arriving on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on Jan. 28, 2022. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

President Joe Biden told reporters late Friday he plans to move U.S. troops to Eastern Europe and member countries of NATO soon.

“I'll be moving U.S. troops to Eastern Europe and the NATO countries in the near term—not a lot,” the president told reporters when asked if he had decided how soon he would move troops to Eastern Europe.

He made the comment after arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland following a speech in Pittsburgh. He also told reporters there has been no update on the Ukraine situation in the past several hours.

Russia has sent about 100,000 troops with tanks and other weapons to its borders with Ukraine’s northeast, after having made a series of security demands asking NATO to guarantee Ukraine would never be able to enter the security alliance, and asking the alliance to roll back its deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. Russia has not withdrawn any troops from the region.

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The Russian army's Iskander missile launchers take positions during drills in Russia, on Jan. 25, 2022. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

The United States and NATO allies have sent security assistance to Ukraine over the past weeks.

The Pentagon announced on Jan. 24 that, should the situation warrant, 8,500 American troops are at a “heightened readiness to deploy.”

Earlier on Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said, “If NATO activates its response forces, these troops will be ready to go.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pauses while speaking during a media briefing at the Pentagon, in Washington, on Nov. 17, 2021. Alex Brandon/AP Photo

He also told reporters that Biden “does not intend to put troops into Ukraine for combat operations.”

He said that any troops that are deployed would be troops that are “already in the region” and “have multiple capabilities.”

“There is a small contingent of U.S. and NATO advisors and trainers currently in Ukraine,” Austin said. “The United States has zero offensive combat weapons systems, nor any permanent forces, nor bases in Ukraine. Our role is limited in that we help train, advise and assist with tactics, techniques and procedures.”

Austin also suggested that any Russian attack would face unified opposition from NATO.

“There is still time and space for diplomacy,” he noted. “The United States, in lockstep with our allies and partners, has offered Russia a path away from crisis and toward greater security, and the Department of Defense will continue to support those diplomatic efforts.”