Biden to send troops to eastern Europe to protect Ukraine from invasion

US president Joe Biden said he would be sending American troops to Eastern Europe as the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to weigh on the US and its allies. He added that “not a lot” of soldiers would be involved “in the near term.” Biden did not name any countries where troops might be deployed or elaborate further.

Separately, Putin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the response from the U.S. to Moscow’s security demands “didn’t take into account Russia’s main concerns,” but said his government will continue to study them before deciding on its next step.

Russia’s posture on Ukraine’s border hasn’t escalated since last spring, and warnings of an imminent invasion by Moscow are damaging the economy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday.

Russia has denied it intends to invade its neighbor, despite massing thousands of troops, tanks and equipment near Ukraine’s eastern border. The UN Security Council will debate the crisis on Monday. — Bloomberg