The Department of Defense is sending about 3,000 combat troops to eastern Europe to reassure NATO allies nervous about Russia’s massive military buildup along its border with Ukraine.
U.S. news reporters won’t be accompanying them on the mission.
The Pentagon on Wednesday said it was standing by its decision not to allow journalists to be embedded with the American units, which include an Army Stryker squadron bound for Romania and elements of the 82nd Airborne Division now arriving in Poland.
“We are just not at a point now where we are able to provide that kind of access,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “We’re still working our way through what sort of coverage is best suited for this particular mission.”
The Pentagon Press Association on Wednesday sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan asking the administration to lift its ban on news coverage, which includes denying reporters’ requests to speak directly to troops at their deployed locations.
“The public in a democratic society deserves independent media coverage of their sons and daughters in uniform, and that cannot be provided today without first-hand, on-the-ground reporting of troop activities in Europe,” said the letter. “For generations, news organizations have been informing the world about the service of American military members, and we simply want to continue to do that job.”
The Pentagon’s blanket denial runs counter to the position held by the White House. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki voiced support for embedding reporters with U.S. military troops.
“We certainly have in the past,” Ms. Psaki told reporters at the White House.
Mr. Kirby said he “absolutely respected” the Pentagon reporters’ desire to cover the U.S. troop deployment but said several factors would also have to be considered, including operational security and the larger strategy being pursued.
“What we’re trying to achieve here is a de-escalation of the tensions and a diplomatic path forward,” he said “We believe there is still time and place for diplomacy.”
Mr. Kirby didn’t say how the presence of reporters on the ground could hinder diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis.