US President Barack Obama proclaimed an unwavering and permanent US commitment to the security of its NATO allies, as he mounted a show of solidarity yesterday with European nations anxious about Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
During a visit to Estonia, Obama said the US would send more air force units and aircraft to the Baltics.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Obama called Estonia’s Amari Air Base an ideal location to base those additional forces.
Photo: AFP
He ticked through a list of US military resources already at work in the region, and said the US has a duty under the NATO charter to the alliance’s collective defense.
“It is unbreakable, it is unwavering, it is eternal. And Estonia will never stand alone,” Obama said in Tallinn, Estonia’s port capital.
Obama’s firm words came as NATO nations were preparing to commit to a more robust rapid-response force for the region, in response to the crisis between Ukraine and Russia.
Shortly after Obama arrived in Europe, Ukraine said its president had agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin on steps towards a “ceasefire regime” in Kiev’s conflict with pro-Russian rebels, but the Kremlin denied any actual truce deal, sowing confusion.
Obama said a ceasefire in Ukraine could only be effective if Russia stopped “pretending” it was not active in the conflict and stopped sending troops and weapons into the country.
“No realistic political settlement can be achieved if effectively Russia says we are going to continue to send tanks and troops and arms and advisers under the guise of separatists, who are not home grown, and the only possible settlement is if Ukraine cedes its territory or its sovereignty,” Obama said.
“We haven’t seen a lot of follow-up on so-called announced ceasefires,” he said. “Having said that, if in fact Russia is prepared to stop financing, arming, training, in many cases joining with Russian troops, activities in Ukraine and is serious about a political settlement, that is something we all hope for.”
The Estonian leader cautioned that for a ceasefire to be successful, Russia would have to acknowledge its own participation in the conflict — a step Moscow has previously refused to take.
“This is aggression,” Ilves said. “Russia must admit that it is a party to the conflict.”
He called for “a robust and a visible ally presence here in Estonia,” arguing that such a presence would be the best way to deter any potential aggressors in the region — a clear reference to Russia.
Obama held up Estonia as an example of how every member of the military alliance needs to do its fair share for the collective defense of all 28 members.
The US and Estonia are two of four NATO countries that fulfill their pledges to contribute 2 percent of their GDP to defense spending.
Obama said Russia was already suffering under the weight of US and European sanctions as its economy was contracting, capital was fleeing and the currency was falling sharply.
“There’s an opportunity here — let’s see if there’s follow-up,” Obama said.
The US president also said that European NATO members need to do their fair share of defense spending to bolster the alliance.
Obama said the US has already bolstered its military activities in the Baltics — three former Soviet republics now part of NATO and the EU — and it was continuously rotating both personnel and aircraft through the region.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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