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President Biden said that he will not commit American troops to a potential war in Ukraine as tensions remain high along the Eastern European country’s border with Russia.
“While I will not send American servicemen to fight in Ukraine, we have supplied the Ukrainian military equipment to help them defend themselves,” Biden said during an address on the situation between Ukraine and Russia Tuesday. “We provided training and advice and intelligence for the same purpose.”
President Joe Biden
(Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Biden’s comments come as hope for a diplomatic solution to tensions in the region remained a possibility, though Biden said that reports of Russian troops moving away from the border with Ukraine have yet to be verified by the U.S.
“President Putin and I agreed that our teams should continue to engage” in a diplomatic solution, Biden said. “We should give diplomacy every chance to succeed, and I believe there are real ways to address our respective security concerns.”
But the president has bolstered troops in defense of NATO allies, with the U.S. sending 500 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division to Poland, who will join other American forces already in the region.
“Make no mistake, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power,” Biden said during the address. “An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us.”
Roughly 3,000 troops were tasked with deployment to Europe last week in response to the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, adding to the thousands of service members who are already permanently stationed on the continent.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin
( Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
Biden has warned of severe economic consequences for Russia should it choose to invade Ukraine, though he has stopped short of saying the U.S. military would become involved in the conflict.
“The United States and our allies and partners will respond decisively. The West is united and galvanized,” Biden said Tuesday. “If Russia proceeds we will rally the world who opposes its aggression. The United States and our allies and partners around the world are ready to impose powerful sanctions on export controls. … We will put intense pressure on their largest and most significant financial institutions and key industries.”
