Obama: NATO will defend Ukraine independence; paints Russia as threat

Lashing out at Russia, U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday cast Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine as a threat to peace in Europe. He vigorously vowed to come to the defence of NATO allies that fear they could be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s next target. Obama, who faces criticism in the U.S. for being too cautious in confronting Putin, sharply condemned Moscow’s actions. He declared in blunt terms that Russian forces that have moved into Ukraine in recent weeks are not on a humanitarian or peacekeeping mission, as the Kremlin has insisted. “They are Russian combat forces with Russian weapons in Russian tanks,” he said during a speech at a packed concert hall.

You lost your independence once before … With NATO, you’ll never lose it again.

U.S. President Barack Obama

Obama also rejected one of Russia’s main rationales for its actions in Ukraine: the protection of Russian speakers living outside its borders. Like Ukraine, Estonia and other Baltic nations have sizable Russian-speaking populations, compounding their fears that Moscow could seek to intervene inside their borders. Despite the president’s tough talk, the U.S. and Europe have been unable to shift Putin’s approach in the months-long crisis in eastern Ukraine. While multiple rounds of Western sanctions have damaged Russia’s economy, the penalties have not pushed Putin to end what the White House says is unchecked support for pro-Moscow separatists who have stirred upheaval in key cities. The Pentagon said Wednesday that 200 U.S. soldiers will participate in an exercise in western Ukraine starting next week. Though distant from the conflict with Russian-backed separatists, they would be the first presence of American ground troops in Ukraine since the crisis began. The annual exercise, called Rapid Trident, involves forces from 15 nations and will not involve live firing of weapons.

We reject the lie that people cannot live and thrive together just because they have different backgrounds or speak a different language.

Barack Obama

Europe NATO