The adviser to the President of Lithuania said that US President Joe Biden promised “additional military capabilities” to the Central European NATO member states on Thursday (December 9) and promised them to participate in decision-making about the region.
Lithuanian President’s adviser Asta Skeesgirit told reporters that Biden assured allies that Russia would not reach any agreement on the region behind his country’s back.
“Biden said,’Without you, there would be no you'”, Skaisgiryte said.
In Washington, a senior official in the Biden administration stated that Biden also reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the collective defense clause in Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which stipulates that an armed attack on one member should be treated as an attack on all members. .
The White House stated that Biden also had conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and “clearly stated that the United States and its allies and partners are committed to’without Ukraine, there would be no decisions or discussions on Ukraine. ‘the rules”.
After Biden spoke on the phone with NATO eastern leaders, he promised to hold a high-level meeting with Russia and NATO’s major allies to discuss Moscow’s concerns and the possibility of “lowering the temperature of the eastern front.”
The senior government official said that the United States was prepared to discuss security issues with Moscow, but Biden did not make any concessions in a conference call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
Biden spoke with the leaders of the Central European NATO countries bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine-Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria (“Bucharest 9”).
today, @POTUS Speak with President Zelensky to reaffirm our firm commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also called B9 leaders, briefed them on his call with President Putin, and emphasized our commitment to transatlantic security. pic.twitter.com/zHLuuspu0a
-White House (@WhiteHouse) December 9, 2021
Skaisgiryte said: “He said these countries may have more guarantees and more military capabilities,” but did not specify a possible location.
“European security issues need to be discussed with all NATO members. Countries outside the alliance have no veto power over NATO’s decisions,” Estonian President Alarkaris tweeted after the conference call.
Biden said that Ukraine is “a sovereign country that must determine its own future” and warned Russian President Putin that if Russia invades Ukraine, “the consequences will be very serious and coordinate with European partners”.
Russia continued to make a series of hostile remarks against Ukraine on Thursday, comparing the crisis there to the most dangerous moment of the Cold War, and waiting for Biden to invite it to hold possible talks with NATO countries.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told Biden that the deployment of permanent American troops in his country would be the “most effective” for deterrence and security in the region.
