U.S. Troops in Poland Brace for Possible Ukrainian Evacuees

Russia has invaded the Ukraine.  Europe is expecting an exodus of people from the Ukraine.

Eric Schmitt for the New York Times reports that “[m]any of the nearly 5,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division who arrived in Poland last week [have been] working with Polish forces to set up processing centers for tens of thousands of people . . . , who are expected to flee neighboring Ukraine if Russia launches a full-scale invasion . . . .”

While the Biden administration has repeatedly said U.S. troops will not fight in Ukraine or rescue Americans trapped there, U.S. commanders in Poland have been preparing parts of several Polish military facilities and erecting tents for possible evacuees.  “[A] nationwide attack on Ukraine could result in one million to five million refugees, with many of them pouring into Poland, Pentagon officials have estimated. That could lead to the largest flood of refugees in Europe since nearly a million Syrian refugees arrived in 2015, a surge that had a profound impact on European politics by bolstering far-right parties.”

UPDATE Feb. 24, 3 p.m. PST: Immigrant advocacy organizations urge Biden administration to extend immigration relief to Ukrainians

UPDATE Feb. 25:   Is Europe Prepared for a Possible Large-Scale Ukrainian Displacement Crisis? by  Hanne Beirens

KJ