US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken today sought to reassure Washington Baltic allies who fear Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop in Ukraine trying to redesign Europe’s borders.
Blinken toured Ukraine’s neighbors Poland and Moldova over the weekend before visiting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, members of NATO once ruled by Moscow and fearing they might face further Russian aggression.
Addressing Blinken, Lithuanian President Gitana Nauseda warned that “Russia’s reckless aggression” could lead to a “third world war”.
“Deterrence is no longer enough and we need forward defense here, because otherwise it will be too late here, Mr. Minister. Putin will not stop in Ukraine if he is not stopped,” Nauseda said.
Russia calls the February 24 campaign a “special military operation” that it says was not designed to seize territory but to destroy its neighbor’s military capabilities and arrest those it considers dangerous nationalists.
The US Secretary of State later met with his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevics in Riga, as well as with the Prime Minister and President of Latvia. Rinkevics called for a permanent US military presence in the Baltic state.
“We no longer have illusions about Putin’s Russia, we see no real reason to assume that Russia can change its policy,” Rinkevich told a joint news conference with Blinken.
The US Secretary of State said from Vilnius that NATO is constantly reviewing its defense stance, including more permanent developments, as requested by the Baltic countries.
“No one should doubt our readiness, no one should doubt our determination,” he said.
The US commitment to guaranteeing mutual defense between NATO member states under Article 5 is “sacred,” Blinken said.
NATO countries have stepped up their presence in the Baltic states and more troops and equipment are on the way, policymakers said. About 400 US troops from the First Armored Brigade Battle Group will arrive in Lithuania in the coming days, Blinken said.
The Lithuanian government later announced an agreement to increase military spending this year, with additional funds to be spent on Javelin anti-tank weapons, combat drones, optical sight and other military equipment, as well as upgrades to its military bases.
Lithuania, like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has called for an embargo on Russian energy. Blinken said yesterday that Washington and its European allies were investigating a ban on Russian oil imports.
“The energy we import pays for the Russian military operation. We can not pay for oil and gas with the blood of Ukraine,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrelius Landsbergis told a joint news conference with his US counterpart.
However, Russian gas can not be easily replaced. Norway, Europe’s second largest supplier, is already operating at full capacity and Europe’s existing LNG terminals have limited capacity to absorb additional supply.
Blinken had earlier told US embassy staff in Vilnius that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine challenged key principles aimed at maintaining peace between nations.
“It’s important that people understand what is at stake, and that goes beyond Ukraine, even the Baltic states, and even Europe,” Blinken said.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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