On Thursday, President Joe Biden took decisive action by signing an executive order that enables the Pentagon to activate reservists for the purpose of providing effective military support to Ukraine. The order was issued in response to an ultimatum issued by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The United States military support to Ukraine, which is now being provided by the United States under the auspices of Operation Atlantic Resolve, has been formally recognized by the Pentagon as a “contingency operation.”
In a message that was delivered to Congress, Vice President Biden invoked his constitutional authority and cited specific sections of the United States Code to justify the need for augmenting the active Armed Forces of the United States. This was done in order to ensure the success of Operation Atlantic Resolve within the area of responsibility that is assigned to the United States European Command.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and takeover of Crimea in 2014, the United States began conducting operations under the name “Atlantic Resolve.” The communication from the President gave the Secretary of Defense permission to activate units or persons who are not currently assigned to specific units. This permission was given in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security for the Coast Guard.
According to this executive order, the total number of members called to active service at any given time is to be limited to a maximum of 3,000 individuals, with no more than 450 members coming from the Individual Ready Reserve. This cap is to be maintained at all times. The Joint Staff J3 director of operations, Army Lieutenant General D.A. Sims, noted that the support requirements have expanded proportionally with the amount of presence and operations in the area of operations that is under the jurisdiction of the United States European Command.
As a result of the Pentagon’s decision to treat Operation Atlantic Resolve as a contingency operation, it has been granted access to a greater number of capabilities and authority. This includes developing stronger financial monitoring methods specifically adapted to this scenario, expediting contracting processes, and giving reservists with entitlements comparable to those of active duty troops. Other aspects of this include providing reservists with entitlements equivalent to those of active duty personnel.
It is essential to note that the deployment of extra military to Europe is not a requirement of this presidential order. Instead, it gives the Pentagon the ability to potentially replace particular soldiers with members of the reserve forces if the circumstance calls for it. They will now be able to participate to the Atlantic Resolve mission while receiving the same advantages as their active duty counterparts thanks to the order, which unlocks the capability to deploy reserve component forces and benefit from the expertise of those forces. One example of such a reserve component force is the National Guard.
The recent participation of Vice President Joe Biden in the NATO meeting that took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, is what prompted President Biden to issue the executive order that he did. At the conference, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. During the summit, Vice President Biden underlined that the United States has offered a tremendous amount of aid and has incurred significant costs in contrast to any other nation.
Since January 24, 2022, the United States has provided over $78 billion in government aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Of this total, more over $43 billion has been specifically dedicated for military aid. This demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the United States to backing Ukraine and its efforts to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.