U.S. military may activate up to 3,000 reservists to deploy in Europe

The U.S. Department of Defense may activate up to 3;000 reservists for deployment in Europe in the future.

In an order signed by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday, it said it was necessary to reinforce the active forces for the implementation of operation Atlantic Resolve.

The U.S. Army launched the mission after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, which violated international law. The mission aimed to strengthen NATO allies by deploying combat-ready units on a rotational basis to NATO's eastern flank.

The United States European Command (EUCOM) announced after the president's order that this does not change the U.S. troop strength in Europe. It is not a question of additional forces, U.S. Lieutenant General Douglas Sims told reporters. Rather, reservists could, in the future, take over tasks that were previously carried out by soldiers from an active unit.

It was not made clear whether this means that the reservists could serve as a quasi relief for active soldiers in Europe. The U.S. defence department also said that would ultimately be up to the EUCOM commander to decide how to use the new powers.

Lieutenant General Sims said the move illustrated the unwavering support and commitment of the U.S. to the defence of NATO's eastern flank in the wake of Russia's "illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine."

Following the announcement, U.S.-based political magazine Politico wrote that the move indicated how demanding the U.S. military's training mission in Europe, as well as the deployment of several new brigades following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is on active forces. The Washington Post newspaper came to a similar conclusion.