Psaki commented on US decision to send more troops to Europe

Washington’s decision to move additional forces to Europe was not prompted by any new U.S. intelligence information or developments; the relevant consultations had been underway for several weeks. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this on Wednesday.

“I would not suggest that this decision was made because of any events that have occurred in the last 48 hours or in the last few days. We have been consulting with our allies and partners in the region where this military is going for several weeks now,” Psaki said when asked whether the move was made because of new intelligence received by the U.S. side.

U.S. President Joe Biden previously said the U.S. side was ready “to adjust the balance of forces to deter and defend against any aggression.”

Possible moves by Russia to de-escalate around Ukraine would affect U.S. decisions on levels of U.S. military presence in Europe, Psaki said.

“Obviously, if Russia decides to go into de-escalation and take steps to de-escalate, it would certainly affect what the balance of power in that part of the region should be,” she said. “If Russian President Vladimir Putin were to take steps to de-escalate, it would certainly affect our calculations,” she added.

The Pentagon said Wednesday it intends to soon move about 1,000 U.S. troops from Germany to Romania, and an additional 2,000 total from the United States to Germany and Poland.