White House: Biden does not intend to send troops to Ukraine

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - US President Joe Biden does not intend to send US troops to Ukraine independently, the White House announced on Tuesday, after Washington put about 8,500 troops on alert to support NATO allies in light of the deployment of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border, Reuters reports.

"To be clear: the president has no intention, interest, or desire to send troops to Ukraine. NATO is the forum for supporting partners and countries on the eastern flank, and that is what we are focused on," said spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged citizens to remain calm regarding the threat of a Russian attack and emphasized that efforts are underway to organize a meeting with the leaders of Russia, France, and Germany.

Zelensky said in an address to the public that the withdrawal of diplomats from Western embassies in Kyiv does not mean that military escalation with Russia is inevitable.

"There are no rose-tinted glasses, no childish illusions, everything is not simple. But there is hope. Protect your body from viruses, your brain from lies, your heart from panic," the Ukrainian leader conveyed.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that France and Germany will not abandon dialogue with Russia, but that Moscow will pay a high price if it attacks Ukraine.

Macron told a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin that Europe and their allies are united on the issue of Ukraine.

European leaders and Biden discussed the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine on Monday, during a virtual meeting.

"I had a very, very, very good meeting - complete unanimity with all European leaders," Biden told reporters after hosting a secure video call with allied leaders from Europe, the European Union, and NATO.