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In just a few short weeks, Russia’s war on Ukraine has precipitated a massive exodus of refugees. According to the United Nations, more than 4.3 million people have fled the country since February 24, the majority of them – 2.5 million – traveling west to Poland. Media across the world have closely covered the story, and shown a great deal more sympathy for the Ukrainian refugees than for others fleeing from U.S. wars in the Middle East or North Africa.

But fewer people are aware of another group that is also flooding into Poland: American soldiers. Officially, the U.S. presence has already more than doubled to 9,000 troops, most of whom are stationed near or on the Polish-Ukrainian border. The majority of these units have arrived in the last few weeks.

What is going on there? Why is the U.S. deploying thousands of troops to the edge of a warzone? And what are these units doing once they arrive? To answer these questions, the MintCast is joined by Michael Tracey, who recently returned from the Polish-Ukrainian border.

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