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To show its firmness towards Moscow, Washington announced on Monday that it had placed up to 8,500 soldiers on alert, ready to reinforce NATO troops. The Europeans, more cautious, call for not creating more “volatility” in the Ukrainian crisis.
By announcing the possible deployment of thousands of American soldiers to reinforce NATO troops, Joe Biden significantly increased the pressure on Moscow on Monday, January 24.
The United States has placed up to 8,500 military personnel on high alert. That means they could be ready in five days to bolster the military alliance’s 40,000-strong Rapid Reaction Force, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday. “No decision has been made on a deployment of forces outside the United States at this time,” he added. But “it is very clear”, he added, “that the Russians currently have no intention of initiating a de-escalation”.
The American president is trying to tilt in his favor the balance of power established by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, by massing troops and equipment on the border with Ukraine.
“No discrepancy”
Joe Biden had a videoconference of just under an hour and a half with several European leaders on Monday. The participants affirmed their “unreserved” support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and promised “very heavy consequences” for Russia in the event of an invasion of this country, the German government announced on Monday evening. They “were all of the opinion that it is up to Russia to undertake visible de-escalation initiatives” in this conflict, said the spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Still, this rise in pressure from the Americans seems to take the Europeans by surprise. “We are concerned, we are also very careful not to create ambiguity, additional volatility,” Paris said on Monday.
But the United States assured Monday, by the voice of the spokesman of the State Department Ned Price, to have “no divergence” with the Europeans on the subject of the sanctions to be imposed on Russia in the event of invasion of the Ukraine, nor about the urgency of the threat. Joe Biden meanwhile assured “total unanimity” with the Europeans on the file.
French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, wants to offer “a path of de-escalation” to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during an interview “in the coming days”.
France, which currently assumes command of NATO’s rapid reaction force, is also organizing a meeting of high-ranking advisers in Paris on Wednesday with Germany, Russia and Ukraine, to try to revive a format of dialogue dating from 2015, now at a standstill.
Avoid “alarmist” reactions
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, called for not “dramatizing” and avoiding “alarmist” reactions, after the United States decided in particular to remove the families of diplomats stationed in Kiev, an initiative followed by London and Canberra.
NATO, for its part, has announced that it is placing forces on standby and sending ships and combat aircraft to reinforce its defenses in Eastern Europe.
Moscow denounced “hysteria” and accused the United States and NATO “of exacerbating tensions through announcements and concrete actions”. The Ukrainian authorities have also deemed Washington’s decision concerning their diplomatic representation “premature” and “excessive”.
In parallel with this rise in pressure, the United States continues despite everything to explore the diplomatic path. According to a European source, a new meeting would thus be planned between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, we learned from a European diplomatic source.
With AFP
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