Washington explains US soldiers' activities in Ukraine

Asked on April 12 about a leaked document on social media that said the US and some NATO allies had special forces operating in Ukraine, Mr. Kirby acknowledged that there was a “small-scale presence of the US military.” However, according to him, this force only operated at the US embassy in the capital Kiev.

Speaking to Fox News on the sidelines of President Joe Biden's trip to Northern Ireland, Mr. Kirby refused to disclose the specific number of US soldiers present in Ukraine.

US soldiers at Poland's Rzeszów-Jasionka airport in February 2022. Photo: US Air Force

“There is a small US military presence at the embassy and the military attaché office, to help us process documents going in and out of Ukraine. So they work with the embassy and the military attaché,” Mr. Kirby said.

Also according to Mr. Kirby, the US military "did not participate in hostilities" in Ukraine.

President Biden is still trying to balance support for Kiev, while avoiding provoking a direct conflict with Moscow, because Russia has repeatedly warned that increased US aid to Ukraine will increase the risk of a clash between the world's two nuclear powers.

On April 11, The Guardian reported that nearly 100 NATO special forces soldiers, including 50 from the UK, have been operating in Ukraine since March 1. According to a set of classified Pentagon documents leaked on social media, the US has 14 special forces and France has 15 in Ukraine.