US Official:Russian Invasion of Ukraine Means More US Troops to Europe

A senior US official told reporters that,should Russian President Vladimir Putin order the invasion of Ukrainian territory for a second time,one result would be the US sending additional troops to reinforce Europe: It would certainly be the case that if Putin moved in,there would be an increasing request from Eastern Flank Allies,and a positive response from the United States,for additional forces and capabilities and exercises to take place there to ensure the safety and security of our Eastern Flank Allies in the face of that kind of aggression in Ukraine...a combination of support for the Ukrainian military;strong economic countermeasures;and a substantial increase in support and capability to our NATO Allies to ensure that they remain safe.* Indeed,NATO Ally Latvia has already called for US troops to be permanently based on its territiory.The anonymous US official declined to specify under which circumstances the US military coud get involved if Russia carries out an attack on Ukraine,described by the Intelligence Community as a possible three-pincer strike with at least 175,000 Russian military personnel.As for Ukraine joining NATO (it already has a Membership Action Plan to chart its course to NATO membership),the official stressed that: The US has consistently expressed support for the principle that every country has the sovereign right to make its own decisions with respect to its security.That remains US policy today and will remain US policy in the furture.So that much is straightforward and clear.* There is also some concern that,should Russia barge into Ukraine,China might seize the opportunity to invade Taiwan at the same time.*