Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to President Joe Biden on Saturday about the U.S. options for responding if Russia invades Ukraine, as well as options for U.S. military movements in advance of an invasion, according to a defense official and a senior administration official.
As Biden weighed his options, the State Department ordered family members of embassy employees in Kyiv to leave Sunday and authorized nonemergency diplomatic employees in Ukraine to leave.
It warned Americans not to travel to Ukraine or Russia, citing the possibility of Russian military action and the possibility of harassment against foreigners in Russia, as well as the possibility of Russian harassment against foreigners, as well as the potential for Russian aggression against foreigners, a department spokeswoman said.
Among the options presented by the U.S. military in advance of an invasion were bomber flights over the region, ship visits into the Black Sea and the moving of troops and equipment from other parts of Europe into Poland, Romania, and other countries neighboring Ukraine.
Austin presented options to reassure NATO allies and strengthen their defenses, specifically the defenses of those countries bordering Ukraine, the officials said. The objective is to show unity and strength among NATO and to deter Russian aggression against allies in the region, the officials said.
Austin briefed Biden via a secure video conference at Camp David, Maryland. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, was also on the conference. The secretary generally briefs the president and then the chairman provides more operational specifics.
Details of the briefing were previously reported by The New York Times.
Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, the commander of U.S. European Command and supreme Allied commander-Europe, has been preparing options for weeks, a defense official and senior administration official said. Wolters has the authority to move some forces around his theater, but he is keeping Austin and military leaders informed of the gravity of the situation, the officials said.
The Russian military hasn't stopped building up forces around Ukraine, according to the latest intelligence provided by the briefing for Biden.
Another defense official said Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to add more military units and flow forces to the border areas around Ukraine. He is getting stronger, literally by the day, the defense official said.
The officials wouldn't say whether Biden approved any movements. The senior administration official said that some troops and assets could be repositioned in the coming days. On Monday, the U.S. military and NATO start Exercise Neptune Strike 22, which includes training with NATO allies for capabilities that could be used against Russia. As part of the exercise, the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group will conduct long-range strike training and anti-submarine warfare training from the Mediterranean.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the exercise was intended to demonstrate NATO's ability to integrate the high-end maritime strike capabilities of an aircraft carrier strike group to support the deterrence and defense of the alliance.