Sullivan: US forces will not deploy to Ukraine

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According to US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, American personnel are not involved in combat in Ukraine and will not be sent there. 

US President Joe Biden has been exceedingly clear that no American forces will fight in Ukraine, including in the country's sky, a senior American defense official said Wednesday.

During an interview with CNN on Sunday, Sullivan reiterated the decision after he was asked to comment on a strike on a Ukrainian training base near Lvov.

US Defense Department Spokesperson John Kirby told ABC that American troops left the site in Lvov weeks ago. 

Kirby claimed that "there were no American service members, no Americans at all working at that training facility. We had left, as you know, several weeks ago."

He also stated that the Pentagon was aware of the base's damage and was in contact with Ukrainian officials to learn more about the situation.

Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported that 3,000 US volunteers are ready to arrive in Ukraine, amid Russia's ongoing military operation in the country.

The agency quoted the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ press service via Telegram as saying that "the volunteers are ready to repel Russia as part of an international battalion."

Among the US volunteers are army veterans "with combat experience gained in Iraq and other hotspots around the world."

Congress pushes Biden on Ukraine

Although US President Joe Biden has previously announced that US troops would not fight in Ukraine, Biden has been pressured by Congress to change his stance on many issues recently.

For instance, the White House refused to answer Congress' calls to ban Russian oil imports to the US. However, this is exactly what happened next.

The administration paused legislation, which could have revoked Russia's normal trade status until President Biden announced the move on Friday.

Senators were convinced by the administration to postpone imposing Russian penalties, but the administration eventually imposed harsh restrictions on its own. It initially rebuffed congressional efforts to prohibit the Nord Stream 2 energy pipeline, but subsequently led allies in blocking it.

“We’ve seen that with this president time and time and time again, where he says, ‘We can’t do this,’” said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a combat veteran. “Then he reverses course.”

After the Pentagon rejected Poland's offer to deliver the Soviet-era MiGs to Ukraine, more than 40 Republican senators signed a letter urging Biden to reverse direction.

Last weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy appealed with Congress to deploy planes and other air support if the US refused to impose a no-fly zone.

“Send these MiGs,” said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

The persistent drumbeat from Congress in recent weeks can be interpreted as a critique of the White House approach as much as an affirmative nod to the Biden administration, demonstrating how far lawmakers are ready to go to help Ukraine.

In addition to the US recently signing a $14 billion bill for aid for Ukraine and sending lethal weapons from as early as December, the US increased its supply of weapons to Ukraine as the potential of an escalation drew closer. 

A declassified shipment list exposed that it was hyping Ukraine for war. Taken together, the variety, volume, and potency of munitions poured into Ukraine demonstrate the extent to which the US tried to train the Ukrainian military to conduct a hybrid war against Russia, despite President Biden's explicit rejection of American forces entering the battle.