Bulletin:Thousands of US Troops May Be Deployed to Eastern Europe Shortly

Spending the weekend at Camp David,Maryland,US President Joseph R. Biden met with his national security team,some of them in person and others virtually,including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley,US Army.The President is considering sending up to 5,000 US troops to Eastern Europe shortly,in a move to bolster NATO deterrence of a Russian invasion of Ukraine,The New York Times reported.This would mark a change from the previous wait and see approach adopted by the administration. Some of the troops would come from the US,while others would be deployed from elsewhere in Europe.More warships and aircraft may also be moved into a deterrent posture.The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is already in the European theatre (the Mediterranean Sea) and is scheduled to begin Exercise Neptune Strike 22 tomorrow (see this blog's previous post). In related news,the Department of State is ordering families of US Embassy in Ukraine staff to return to the United States,while non-essential Embassy staff are being given the option to return home,in light of the possibility of a Russian invasion.As well,the State Department is strongly advising US citizens not to travel to Ukraine because of the war threat.