Obama was speaking in Estonia, one of three ex-Soviet Baltic states bordering Russia that fear separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine could herald problems for them. All three have sizeable Russian minorities and rely on Russian fuel deliveries.
Obama, who will attend a NATO summit in Wales on Thursday, accused Russia of a "brazen assault" on Ukraine, which for five months has been fighting pro-Russian separatists.
"NATO must make concrete commitments to help Ukraine modernize and strengthen its security forces. We must do more to help other NATO partners, including Georgia and Moldova, strengthen their defenses as well," he said.
"And we must reaffirm the principle that has always guided our alliance, for countries that meet our standards and that can make meaningful contributions to allied security, the door to NATO membership will remain open," he said after meeting the leaders of the three ex-Soviet Baltic states.
He said Washington would continue to offer training and assistance to help Ukraine's military gain strength.
- Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday NATO would guarantee the sovereignty of the Baltic States at the summit in Wales but would not change its treaties with Russia.
She said all measures decided by NATO at the summit would comply with treaties between NATO and Russia, but NATO had to improve its ability to react quickly in the region.
Source:Reuters - globaltimes.cn
3-4/9/14
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Related:
- Remarks by President Obama to the People of Estonia
Nordea Concert Hall
Tallinn, Estonia
4:00 P.M. ESTTallinn, Estonia
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Hello, Estonia! Tere Eesti! Thank you, Oskar, for your wonderful introduction and for representing the talent and the energy and the optimism of today’s Estonia, especially its young people. And Oskar is sitting next to his father, and his father and I agree that we’re getting gray, so we have to make sure that somebody is coming up behind us. Please give Oskar a big round of applause for the great job that he did. (Applause.)
To President Ilves and distinguished guests, to the people of Estonia -- it is a great pleasure to be with you in this historic city, in this beautiful land. I thank you for the incredible hospitality that you’ve shown me today. I understand the weather is always like this. (Laughter.) My only regret is that I missed this summer’s Laulupidu. And I’ll try to come back next time and catch it. I bring with me the friendship of the American people, and I am honored to be the first President of the United States to deliver an address like this to the people of Estonia.
I just had the opportunity to meet once again with the presidents of all the Baltic states, and I thank the presidents of Latvia and Lithuania for being here. We’re joined by friends from throughout the region. And I want to say a special welcome to everyone watching this out in Freedom Square. And I’m especially pleased to see so many young people here today. Because, like Oskar, you are fulfilling the dream that your parents and grandparents struggled for but could only imagine -- and that is living your lives in free and independent and democratic Baltic nations.
That dream of freedom endured through centuries of occupation and oppression. It blossomed into independence, only to have it stolen by foreign pacts and secret protocols. It survived the mass deportations that ripped parents from their children. It was defended by Forest Brothers in their resistance and sustained by poets and authors who kept alive your languages and cultures. And here in Estonia, it was a dream that found its most eloquent expression in your voices -- on a grassy field not far from here, when Estonians found the courage to stand up against an empire and sing “land of my fathers, land that I love.” And Heinz Valk, who is here today, spoke for the entire Singing Revolution when he said, “One day, no matter what, we will win!” (Applause.)......................................http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/03/remarks-president-obama-people-estonia
3/9/14
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