More than 150 soldiers with Florida's National Guard have been ordered to leave Ukraine by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin over concerns of a likely Russian attack, according to the Military Times.
According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, Task Force Gator, which has been advising and mentoring Ukrainian forces, has been ordered to reposition elsewhere in Europe.
The decision to reposition the group, Kirby says, comes "out of an abundance of caution — with the safety and security of our personnel foremost in mind — and informed by the State Department's guidance on U.S. personnel in Ukraine."
Kirby adds that "this repositioning does not signify a change in our determination to support Ukraine's Armed Forces, but will provide flexibility in assuring allies and deterring aggression."
President Joe Biden on Friday ordered 3,000 members of the 82nd Airborne Division to join 3,000 troops already mobilized to Poland, Germany and Romania.
But Russia has amassed some 130,000 troops around Ukraine. Still, the Ukrainian army has about 145,000 troops.
On Saturday, Austin said he and the Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu, "discussed Russia's force build-up in Crimea and around Ukraine."
Additionally, Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are slated on Saturday to hold a high-stakes talk about a pending invasion. But before that, Putin will talk with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.