GOP Senate leader seeks immediate deployment of NATO troops near Russia

US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has called on the immediate deployment of NATO troops to Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states to deter Russia from invading Ukraine.

McConnell, who last week said President Joe Biden had "telegraphed passivity and weakness" on the Ukraine issue, on Tuesday stated that he is seeing "encouraging" signs from the Biden administration about its actions against Russia.

McConnell said that Biden appears to be adopting the right approach to Ukraine following a meeting with his security team at Camp David.

"What I've been hearing since then is encouraging, that they're prepared to take steps before an incursion, not afterwards," McConnell said at a news conference in Frankfort, Kentucky.

"It appears to me the administration is moving in the right direction," he added.

The Biden administration has claimed that Russia has amassed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and accused Moscow of preparing for a new military assault. Moscow has rejected the allegations and said the troop build-up is defensive.

On Monday, the US and NATO said they were preparing thousands of troops to potentially deploy to Eastern Europe to counter the threat of the “Russian invasion.”

McConnell also called on the immediate shipment of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine.

A plane carrying about 80 tons of American military equipment landed in Kyiv on Tuesday, part of a $200-million lethal aid package from the Biden administration to bolster the country’s military.

The cargo was the third shipment of such arms shipments supplied to Kyiv amid escalating tensions between the West and Russia.

The shipment included Javelin anti-tank missiles, “other anti-armor systems, grenade launchers, munitions, and non-lethal equipment essential to Ukraine’s front line defenders,” Pentagon Spokesman Marine Corps Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth said in a statement.

ME