United States is coordinating with the Ukrainian military in Poland

United States is coordinating with the Ukrainian military in Poland. 

Following remarks from President Joe Biden on the subject, the Pentagon emphasized on Tuesday that US troops in Poland were “liaising” with Ukrainian forces while handing over weaponry but not training “in the traditional sense.”

Biden told reporters on Monday that he spoke with US troops who were assisting in the “training” of the Ukrainian military in Poland when in Poland last week.

When weapons are handed over to the forces fighting back against Russia’s invasion, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters that US troops in Poland are “liaising” with Ukrainian forces.

“Many individuals think of training differently than they think of it. So I’d call it liaising, “Kirby remarked.

He didn’t elaborate on the nature of the interactions or how long they usually lasted. 

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However, as the US attempts to keep any direct military involvement in the battle to a minimum, it’s unclear whether the distinction between liaison and training is more important.

The US and other European countries have mostly limited their military assistance to intelligence sharing and heavy equipment deliveries to Ukrainian forces, such as anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems.

Before Russia’s invasion, the US withdrew its military trainers of Ukrainian forces from western Ukraine. 

The training location where they had previously worked near the Ukrainian city of Lviv was struck earlier this month by Russian air-launched cruise missiles.

Additional aircraft, including ten F-18 fighter jets and more than 200 soldiers, will be deployed to eastern Europe, including Lithuania, according to Kirby.

This is the most recent round of extra US troops to be deployed to the region since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over a month ago.

More than 100,000 US troops are presently stationed in Europe, up from around 80,000 when Russian troops entered Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Moscow pledged to reduce military operations near the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv. 

At the same time, Ukraine requested a neutral status with international security assurances while retaining its territorial integrity.

In the West, the Russian vow was regarded with suspicion.

“Has there been any movement away from Kyiv by Russian units in the last day? Yes, we believe so. A few individuals, “Kirby remarked.

He added that this did not mean the threat to Kyiv had passed and that the troops moving away from Kyiv would most likely be deployed elsewhere in Ukraine.