The United States government ordered this Saturday the departure from Ukraine of 160 members of the Florida National Guard (one of its military reserve corps) as an extreme precaution against the imminent possibility of an invasion by Russia.
The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, ordered “the temporary repositioning” of these 160 reservists who have been in Ukraine since last November, the Department of Defense reported in a statement.
The troops are assigned to the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and have been advising and training the Ukrainian Armed Forces for the past few months.
After leaving the country, they will relocate to other destinations in Europe.
The decision was taken as an “extreme precaution” measure to ensure the safety of US personnel in Ukraine and in line with the guidelines issued by the State Department for that country.
“This repositioning does not imply a change in our determination to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but it will give us more flexibility to work with our allies and deter aggression,” the Pentagon said.
The United States government today warned its citizens in Ukraine that it will not be able to help them in a “war zone” if Russia invades the country, after urging them to leave the country and ordering the departure of most diplomatic personnel.
For his part, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will talk today about Ukraine, as confirmed yesterday, Friday, to Efe by a high-ranking official of the US Administration.
That source explained that Moscow had proposed a telephone conversation for Monday, the 14th, but Washington preferred to bring it forward to today, which the Kremlin accepted.