United States military is prepared to back up NATO if the unrest in Ukraine escalates 1203141.

Defence & Security News - United States

“But remember,” he added, “we do have treaty obligations with our NATO allies. And I have assured them that if that treaty obligation is triggered, we would respond.”

Last week, the American guided-missile destroyer, USS Truxtun, departed Greece headed toward the Black Sea. The destroyer will be passing through the region as part of the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group bound for the Middle East. This trip, Kirby explained, had been planned well before the February unrest in Kiev began and new leadership took control of the embattled nation.

According to the General, the incursion of Russian troops into the Crimea creates risks for all the countries of Europe and NATO allies.

In Kiev, the new government announced that it would seek to create a National Guard, composed of perhaps 20,000 military veterans, in an effort to bolster Ukraine’s threadbare military. The plan was announced by the acting president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, during a session of Parliament and was discussed in a meeting between the first deputy prime minister, Vitaly Yarema, and the British ambassador to Ukraine, Simon Smith.