May 29, 2015

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“…Now, with respect to NATO, obviously this is a challenging and important time for NATO, and we are very lucky to have General Secretary Stoltenberg at the helm during this time.  We had a chance to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the increasingly aggressive posture that Russia has taken, and we affirmed that NATO is the cornerstone not just of trans-Atlantic security but, in many ways, is the cornerstone for global security.

“In Wales, we were able to not only affirm the intentions of the alliance to uphold its Article 5 obligations, but we also put in place a whole host of measures to reassure frontline states and to put in place what we call the Readiness Action plan. That is currently being implemented, and I was pleased to hear that not only the United States but our other NATO allies have been doing what’s necessary to make sure that we have positioned the resources and assets necessary to protect all NATO members.

“We also reaffirmed the importance of implementing the Minsk Agreement and ensuring that Ukraine is able to enjoy the same territorial integrity and sovereignty as any other country.  And we’ll continue to support Ukraine through the NATO-Ukraine partnership that pre-dates the crisis that occurred both in Crimea and now in eastern Ukraine. …

– President Barack Obama, speaking in the Oval Office on May 26 after his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington.

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