This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/04/world/europe/obama-in-europe.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Obama, in Warsaw, Pledges Solidarity With Eastern Europe Obama, in Warsaw, Pledges Solidarity With Eastern Europe
(about 4 hours later)
WARSAW — President Obama announced more steps on Tuesday to bolster security in central and eastern Europe with additional deployments and training as he arrived in Poland for the start of a four-day European trip aimed at locking arms with allies following Russia’s intervention in Ukraine. WARSAW — As he began a four-day trip to Europe, President Obama announced new measures intended to bolster security in Central and Eastern Europe in response to Russia’s intervention in the crisis in Ukraine, including its annexation of Crimea.
Mr. Obama tried to make a point of demonstrating solidarity with leaders from Poland and the rest of the region immediately upon landing. Striding across the tarmac from Air Force One, he visited a hangar with four American F-16 fighter jets and addressed about 50 American and Polish airmen and soldiers with a message of resolve. Mr. Obama tried to make a point of demonstrating solidarity with America’s friends in the region as soon as he landed in Poland, the first stop on his itinerary. Striding across the tarmac from Air Force One, he visited a hangar where four American F-16 fighter jets were parked, and addressed about 50 American and Polish airmen and soldiers with a message of resolve.
“I’m starting the visit here because our commitment to Poland’s security as well as the security of our allies in central and eastern Europe is a cornerstone of our own security and is sacrosanct,” Mr. Obama told the troops with President Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland at his side. “As friends and allies, we stand united together and forever.” “I’m starting the visit here because our commitment to Poland’s security as well as the security of our allies in central and eastern Europe is a cornerstone of our own security and it is sacrosanct,” Mr. Obama told the troops, with President Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland at his side. “As friends and allies, we stand united together and forever,” Mr. Obama said.
He later announced that he would ask Congress for $1 billion for a “European reassurance initiative” that would increase exercises, training and troop presence in Eastern Europe and send American navy ships more often to the Baltic and Black seas. The plan would deploy American experts to bolster capabilities and would help pre-position equipment among European allies for quicker military responses. It would also provide aid to Ukraine and two other former Soviet republics, Georgia and Moldova. Later he announced that he would ask Congress for $1 billion for a “European reassurance initiative” that would increase the American troop presence in Eastern Europe with additional exercises and training, and would send American Navy ships more often to the Baltic and Black seas. The plan would position more equipment in Europe for quicker military responses and dispatch American experts to augment the allies’ capabilities. It would also provide aid to Ukraine and two other former Soviet republics, Georgia and Moldova,.
But it was unclear whether Mr. Obama’s new announcement would satisfy regional leaders previously unimpressed by the relatively token forces sent in recent months. Mr. Obama dispatched additional rotations of aircraft and support personnel as well as about 600 paratroopers to Poland and other allies in the region after Russia seized Crimea from neighboring Ukraine in the spring. It was not clear whether Mr. Obama’s announcement would satisfy leaders in the region, who have so far been unimpressed by the relatively small forces the United States has sent in recent months. Mr. Obama has dispatched about 600 paratroopers to Poland and other allies in the region and rotated more aircraft and support personnel through the area.
Anxious about the threat from Moscow, Polish leaders have been pressing for a more robust deployment and even a permanent base despite a NATO-Russia agreement following the end of the Cold War in which the western alliance said it would refrain from deploying substantial forces in eastern territory. Polish officials have argued that Russia had effectively abrogated that agreement by annexing Crimea. Anxious about the threat from Moscow, Polish leaders have been pressing for a more robust deployment, and even creation of a permanent base on their territory. NATO reached an agreement with Russia after the Cold War ended, promising to refrain from deploying substantial forces in Eastern Europe, but Polish officials have argued that Russia effectively abrogated that agreement by annexing Crimea.
“For the first time since the Second World War, one European country has taken a province by force from another European country,” Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, said in a telephone interview before Mr. Obama’s arrival. “America, we hope, has ways of reassuring us that we haven’t even thought about. There are major bases in Britain, in Spain, in Portugal, in Greece, in Italy. Why not here?”“For the first time since the Second World War, one European country has taken a province by force from another European country,” Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, said in a telephone interview before Mr. Obama’s arrival. “America, we hope, has ways of reassuring us that we haven’t even thought about. There are major bases in Britain, in Spain, in Portugal, in Greece, in Italy. Why not here?”
Joined by Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr. Obama had a day of meetings scheduled with Mr. Komorowski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He was to meet with the leaders of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia, all of whom are traveling here to see the American president. Joined by Secretary of State John Kerry, Mr. Obama met on Tuesday with Mr. Komorowski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk, reaffirming repeatedly what he called America’s “rock solid commitment” to Polish security. He also met with the leaders of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia, all of whom traveled here to hear a similar message.
On Wednesday, Mr. Obama is scheduled to meet here for the first time with Petro O. Poroshenko, the newly elected president of Ukraine, days before his inauguration on Saturday. Mr. Obama hopes to reinforce American support for the new government in Kiev as it tries to stabilize a rocky economy and quell a violent, pro-Russian insurgency in its eastern regions. On Wednesday, Mr. Obama is scheduled to meet for the first time with Petro O. Poroshenko, the president-elect of Ukraine, whose inauguration is set for Saturday. Mr. Obama hopes to reinforce American support for the new government in Kiev as it tries to stabilize a rocky economy and quell a violent pro-Russian insurgency in the eastern part of the country, where there was fresh fighting on Tuesday.
He is also scheduled to address a public rally later Wednesday marking the 25th anniversary of the first partially free elections in Poland that led to the end of Communist rule. The fresh crisis with Russia, coming at a time when this part of Europe is commemorating the end of the Cold War and Soviet domination, lent symbolic potency to the event. Later on Wednesday, Mr. Obama plans to address a public rally marking the 25th anniversary of elections in Poland that led to the end of Communist rule. The fresh confrontation with Russia, coming at a time when this part of Europe is commemorating the end of the Cold War and Soviet domination, lent symbolic potency to the event.
Mr. Obama plans to fly later Wednesday to Brussels to meet with leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan in a Group of 7 format that was originally supposed to be a Group of 8 summit meeting hosted by President Vladimir V. Putin in Sochi, Russia, until the country was suspended from the group. Mr. Obama will then head to France for meetings in Paris and a ceremony in Normandy marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Mr. Putin has been invited to the Normandy ceremony, marking the first time he and Mr. Obama will meet since the Ukraine crisis erupted. Then Mr. Obama plans to fly to Brussels to meet with leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan in a Group of 7 format. That meeting was originally supposed to be a Group of 8 summit in Sochi, Russia, hosted by President Vladimir V. Putin, but Russia was suspended from the group following its annexation of Crimea.
The nervousness here was palpable even though American and Western European officials doubt Mr. Putin would dare to use force against a NATO ally such as Poland. Under Article 5 of the NATO charter, the United States and others in the alliance are obligated to come to the defense of any member. Ukraine, by contrast, is not a NATO member, much like Georgia, which was invaded by Russian forces in 2008 after a skirmish in a breakaway republic. From Brussels, Mr. Obama is to travel to France for meetings in Paris and a ceremony in Normandy marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Mr. Putin plans to attend the Normandy ceremony as well, setting up his first encounter with Mr. Obama since the Ukraine crisis erupted.
But Mr. Sikorski said many in Poland were not so sure. “Russia is testing the strength of the international system set up by the United States after World War II,” he said. “She tested it in Georgia, which was an implied ally of the United States. She has now tested it in Ukraine. And I don’t think we can discount the possibility that she will test it again. And therefore our security guarantees have be credible, which is to say physically enforceable.” Because Article 5 of the NATO charter obligates the United States and other alliance members to come to the defense of any member that is attacked, American and Western European officials doubt that Mr. Putin would use military force or the threat of it against a NATO ally like Poland, the way he has with nonmembers like Ukraine or Georgia, which was invaded by Russian forces in 2008 after a skirmish in a breakaway republic.
Russia has long resisted NATO forces in central and Eastern European countries. In 1997, NATO and Russia signed an agreement in which NATO said it did not intend “additional permanent stationing of substantial combat forces” in Eastern Europe. But under the agreement, Russia agreed to refrain “from the threat or use of force” that would violate the “sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence” of its neighbors. Still, the nervousness was palpable in Warsaw as Mr. Obama arrived. “Russia is testing the strength of the international system set up by the United States after World War II,” Mr. Sikorski said. “She tested it in Georgia, which was an implied ally of the United States. She has now tested it in Ukraine. And I don’t think we can discount the possibility that she will test it again. And therefore our security guarantees have be credible, which is to say physically enforceable.”
The American airmen whom Mr. Obama visited at Okecie Airport were here as part of a full-time United States Air Force detachment opened in Poland in November 2012. The detachment has hosted five training rotations of American F-16 jets and C-130 transport aircraft and the United States added additional rotations after Russia’s intervention in Ukraine. Russia objected strongly when the former Warsaw Pact nations of Central and Eastern Europe sought to join the NATO alliance in the 1990s, saying that Western troops on their soil would be a threat to Russia. In the 1997 agreement, NATO said it did not intend “additional permanent stationing of substantial combat forces” in Eastern Europe, while Russia agreed to refrain “from the threat or use of force” that would violate the “sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence” of its neighbors.
“Poles and Americans stand shoulder to shoulder for freedom,” Mr. Obama told them. “And we’re so grateful to all of you for your service.” The American airmen whom Mr. Obama visited in the hangar at Okecie Airport are here as part of a full-time United States Air Force detachment stationed in Poland in November 2012. Since then, American F-16 jets and C-130 transport aircraft have rotated into the country temporarily for training exercises, and the United States added additional rotations after the crisis in Ukraine heated up.
“Poles and Americans stand shoulder to shoulder for freedom,” Mr. Obama told the troops in the hangar. “And we’re so grateful to all of you for your service.”