One American military officer, who was part of the diplomatic team, has returned to Ukraine as part the U.S. Embassy's reopening. However, the Pentagon stated Thursday that no additional troops were going into Ukraine at this time.
John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, stated that the defense attache, a Colonel, was returned to Kyiv along with other embassy staff. While the defense attache is a military officer and reports to the chief, he is only there for diplomatic work and not security.
Questions continue to be raised about whether the U.S. would send a Marine security unit back to the embassy. Kirby stated that the State Department has been handling embassy security with diplomat security personnel, and has not requested Marines.
Kirby stated that nothing has changed in the direction of the president, which states that the United States will not be supporting the war in Ukraine. Kirby spoke to reporters at the Pentagon. He stated that he and the State Department are in active discussions regarding security.
US military officer back at embassy in Kyiv
The Associated Press
an hour ago
A woman walks by broken glass and blood from shelling in Kharkiv (eastern Ukraine), Thursday, May 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
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A woman walks by broken glass and blood from shelling in Kharkiv (eastern Ukraine), Thursday, May 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
WASHINGTON -- One American military officer, who was part of the diplomatic team that reopened the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, has returned to the country. The Pentagon stated Thursday that no additional troops were going to Ukraine at the moment.
John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, stated that the defense attache, a Colonel, was returned to Kyiv along with other embassy staff. While the defense attache is a military officer and reports to the chief, he is only there for diplomatic work and not security.
Questions continue to be raised about whether the U.S. would send a Marine security unit back to the embassy. Kirby stated that the State Department has been handling embassy security with diplomat security personnel, and has not requested Marines.
Kirby stated that nothing has changed in the direction of the president, which states that the United States will not be supporting the war in Ukraine. Kirby spoke to reporters at the Pentagon. He stated that he and the State Department are in active discussions regarding security.
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WORLD WAR:
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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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AUTOTHER DEVELOPMENTS
KOTELVA (Ukraine) -- Two Russian soldiers were accused of war crimes against Ukraine at a second hearing held in Kotelva, a northeastern city.
Alexander Alexevich Ivanov, a Russian soldier, and Alexander Vladimirovich Bobykin are accused of using multiple rocket launchers to attack civilian infrastructure. At the Kotelevsky District Court, both soldiers pleaded guilty to the charges of shelling civilian infrastructure with a multiple rocket launcher.
The maximum sentence for a convicted serviceman is 12 years imprisonment.
Their defense attorney requested eight years because they were not following orders from their officers.
Bobykin was asked if they would like to make any declarations at closing of hearing. He said, "I admit what we did, I regrette the actions our troops took, but I believe that the war will end in the future and that the peace we all long for will finally come."
Ivanov made no comment.
The trial has been rescheduled for May 31.
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Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian President, stated Thursday that he is forming a military command for the southern region and sending tactical battalions to the border with Ukraine.
Lukashenko didn't give any details. However, battalion tactical units are typically composed of mechanized infantry and tanks. Although the territory of Belarus was used to launch rocket attacks against Ukraine, the Belarusian military did not participate in the Russian ground operation.
Ukrainian officials expressed concern about the possibility that Belarus might accept a larger part in the conflict.
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BERLIN -- According to officials familiar with the matter, Western allies are considering whether they will allow Russian oligarchs the opportunity to purchase their way out sanctions and use the money to rebuild Ukraine.
