Tuesday 3 June 2014

President @BarackObama : ''Given the situation in Ukraine right now, we have increased our American presence (in Poland)''




President Barack Obama has described America's commitment to the security of its European allies as "sacrosanct", amid concerns over the Ukraine crisis.
Mr Obama is in Poland for talks with Nato leaders - part of a tour that will also take in Belgium and France.
He announced plans for a $1bn (£600m) fund to increase US military deployments to eastern Europe.
In April, 150 US soldiers were sent to Poland for military exercises amid growing tensions with Moscow.
On his arrival in Warsaw on Tuesday, Mr Obama met US and Polish air personnel from a small detachment of F-16 fighter jets based in Poland.

'New security challenges' for  
He also announced the European Reassurance Initiative, which would fund additional US military rotations to Europe. The $1bn fund will need congressional approval.
The proposal came "in light of the new security challenges on the continent", the White House said in a statement, adding: "These efforts will not come at the expense of other defence priorities, such as our commitment to the Asia Pacific rebalance."
During his trip, Mr Obama will also meet Poland's president and prime minister, and a group of leaders from central and eastern European Nato countries.
In Belgium, the US leader is expected to urge Western leaders to reaffirm their united position on Ukraine at a G7 meeting of major industrial nations.
The summit had been initially planned in Russia, but Western leaders later decided to boycott it following Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March.
In France, Mr Obama will take part in ceremonies to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.
President Vladimir Putin is also invited, but the White House has already made it clear that the American and Russian leaders will not hold formal bilateral talks.



Contingency Fund

The money will be contained in the Obama administration’s fiscal 2015 war-fighting request -- known as the Overseas Contingency Operations Fund -- that will be released this month, the official said. That’s the pool of money used to bankroll U.S. military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Starting today in Warsaw, then in Brussels and Paris, Obama will promote economic cooperation, energy security, and solidarity among NATO and Group of Seven nations. Later today, Obama will meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The fund announced today seeks to increase exercises, training, and rotational presence of U.S. troops across Europe, especially with newer allies shaken by Russia’s aggression over the last several months, according to the fact sheet. The program is designed to bolster the capacity of countries including Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to better work alongside the U.S. and NATO as well as to provide for their own defense, the White House said.

Reinforce NATO

It will increase the responsiveness of U.S. forces to reinforce NATO by exploring initiatives such as the prepositioning of equipment and improvements to other reception facilities and infrastructure in Europe, the White House said. The U.S. Navy will also boost NATO naval deployments to the Black and Baltic seas.
While Obama is also reviewing the U.S. troop presence in Europe given the continent’s “new security challenges,” this review won’t undermine his administration’s commitment to other defense and foreign-policy priorities, including the rebalancing to Asia, the White House said.
“As friends and allies we stand united together and forever,” Obama said today, standing alongside Komorowski.
Throughout the week Obama will use his speeches and meetings with allies to emphasize Putin’s choice between further economic isolation, if Russia continues to seek more control in Ukraine and other former Soviet areas, or an easing of sanctions if he changes course.
While in Poland, Obama will also meet with Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko, newly elected to become president of the former Soviet state, and to underscore the benefits for Russia if it leaves Ukraine free to pursue its own path.
Amid the tensions over Ukraine, the Pentagon has already deployed F-16 fighters to Poland and a company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team to conduct airborne assault exercises with Polish counterparts. Other reassurance measures have included deployment of Navy warships to the Black Sea (BKSA) and F-15 fighters to Lithuania to beef up Baltic air patrols.



No comments:

Post a Comment