The US has put 8,500 troops on high alert by order of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin in response to Russia's ongoing provocations along its border with Ukraine, Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said at a briefing in Washington at 2:30 p.m. (the briefing ended at 2:30 p.m.). This was announced by Pentagon Press Speaker John F. Kirby at a briefing in Washington at 14:30 (the briefing ended at 00:15 on January 25, Kiev time).
Kirby said the Secretary of Defense's decision underscores the position the U.S. president expressed during an online conference with NATO heads of state and the alliance secretary general.
"As [President Joe Biden] made clear, the United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to Russian actions that harm us and our allies and partners," Kirby said at the news conference.
As Kirby noted, the U.S. and allies have a clear picture of what is happening on the ground today, and "reasonable action" has been taken based on it.
"It is quite clear that the Russians do not intend to escalate the situation now," Kirby said.
At the same time, he said, U.S. troops are intended for use inside Ukraine: they will be deployed "if NATO activates the response force, which now has a 40,000-member force, or, as Kirby put it, "if other situations arise."
