Biden: The US will defend its NATO allies "no ifs, ands, or buts"
Unsure of Russian President Vladimir Putins intentions, the Obama administration is attempting to warn the Kremlin not to test the U.S. commitment to defend its allies in eastern and central Europe.
Jet fighters from the U.K., Denmark, France and Poland will begin flying air patrols over the Baltic states tomorrow as part of collective defense measures, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said in a statement today. Canadian jets are deploying to Romania as part of NATO efforts to reassure allies in Central and Eastern Europe, the alliance said.
Those measures and others, including deployments of U.S. troops for military exercises, are part of an effort to discourage any thoughts Putin may have about extending Russias reach beyond Ukraine.
The U.S. will defend its NATO allies no ifs, ands or buts, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said today at an Atlantic Council conference in Washington.
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In response to Russian aggression, America is taking steps to make clear that our allies will honor the solemn commitments under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, Biden said. That is an absolute, ironclad guarantee.''
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-30/u-s-signals-putin-not-to-move-against-new-nato-members.html?cmpid=yhoo