JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 160 Florida National Guard troops who had been deployed to Ukraine since November have been ordered to leave, the Department of Defense said on Saturday.
The moves come in the face of further signs of Russian escalation on its borders with Ukraine, said Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor.
Recommended Videos
The soldiers, who are assigned to the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, have been ordered to move elsewhere in Europe, according to a news release. The troops have been advising and mentoring Ukrainian forces as part of Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine.
Another 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division will move to Europe in the coming days, according to the department of defense.
MORE: Flights to Ukraine halted or redirected as crisis brews
Some airlines have canceled or diverted flights to Ukraine amid warnings from the West that an invasion by Russia is imminent despite intensive weekend talks between Moscow and Washington.
In an hourlong call Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden said an invasion of Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering” and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but “equally prepared for other scenarios,” the White House said. It offered no suggestion that the call diminished the threat of an imminent war in Europe.
The White House said Biden would talk with Zelenskyy later Sunday.
