Eva Deschamps / February 5, 2022
The transfer of American reinforcements to Poland, sent to reassure allies worried about Russian-Ukrainian tensions, has begun, a Polish army spokesman told AFP on Saturday.
Major Lipczynski said logistical preparations have been underway since last week. On Saturday, a plane with soldiers from the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division landed in Jesionka.
The United States announced on Wednesday that it would send 3,000 additional American troops to Eastern Europe to defend Nato countries against any aggression, in the midst of a diplomatic ballet aimed at convincing Moscow to withdraw its troops massed on Ukraine's borders.
The new U.S. troops are in addition to the 8,500 troops placed on alert at the end of January by U.S. President Joe Biden to be deployed in Nato's rapid reaction force if needed.
The West has accused Moscow since the end of 2021 of having massed tens of thousands of soldiers on the borders of Ukraine with a view to a potential invasion, which Russia denies, claiming that it only wants to guarantee its security.