Biden speaks to 82nd Airborne Division: You are the finest fighting force in history
President Biden speaks to U.S. troops in Rzeszów, Poland
The White House on Friday insisted the U.S. military will not be deployed to Ukraine amid Russia’s multifront war on the country after comments President Biden made to troops in Poland seemed to suggest otherwise.
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Biden, visiting U.S. service members in Poland, talked about how average Ukrainian citizens are "stepping up."
"You’re going to see when you’re there – some of you have been there – you’re going to see women, young people, standing in the middle, in front of a damn tank, saying, ‘I’m not leaving.'"
President Biden speaks to members of the 82nd Airborne Division at the G2A Arena, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Jasionka, Poland. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Biden, since prior to Russia’s invasion, and throughout its war on Ukraine, has maintained that U.S. troops would not enter the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
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When asked Friday about the possibility of U.S. troop involvement, the White House insisted its stance remains the same.
"The president has been clear we are not sending U.S. troops to Ukraine and there is no change in that position," a White House spokesperson told Fox News Friday.
As of March 17, there were 100,000 U.S. troops in Europe to strengthen NATO defenses, up from 80,000 in January.
Biden was in Brussels, Belgium, this week for an emergency NATO meeting to discuss the international response to Russia's war on Ukraine.
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Earlier this week, a senior U.S. defense official said that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is still considering the possibility of deploying additional American troops to NATO's eastern flank in Europe as the war in Ukraine rages on.
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The Biden administration has warned that moves like implementing a no-fly zone over Ukraine could be viewed as escalatory and "could prompt a war with Russia." Instead, the president approved nearly $1 billion in military aid for Ukraine.
Ukraine is not a member of NATO, so it is not subject to the Article V provision of the NATO alliance that says when one member country is attacked, all member countries will take action to assist.
The new aid package includes 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 2,000 Javelins, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems, 100 unmanned drones, 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, 400 shotguns, more than 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds, 25,000 sets of body armor and 25,000 helmets.
The equipment will be transferred directly from the Department of Defense to the Ukrainian military, Biden said.
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