Mentioning Suspension Of Russian Nuclear Treaty A Big Mistake, President Biden: We Will Defend Every Inch Of NATO Territory

JAKARTA - US President Joe Biden vowed to defend every inch of NATO territory on Wednesday, reassuring allies in Europe's east and portraying Russia's suspension of a nuclear arms control treaty as a big mistake.

President Biden was speaking during a meeting with NATO allies in Eastern Europe in the Polish capital, Warsaw, two days after an unannounced visit to Kyiv, one year ahead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Amid the highest tensions between Russia and the West since the Cold War more than three decades ago, President Biden addressed thousands of people in downtown Warsaw on Tuesday, saying that "autocrats" like Russian President Vladimir Putin must be opposed.

Hours earlier, President Putin had delivered a lengthy speech laden with criticism of Western powers, blaming them for the war in Ukraine. President Biden said the West never planned to attack Russia and that the invasion was President Putin's choice.

President Putin also withdrew from the New START arms control treaty, a 2010 treaty that limited the number of strategic nuclear warheads Russia and the US could deploy, warning that Moscow could resume nuclear tests.

"This is a big mistake," Biden said of President Putin's decision before his meeting with Eastern European countries known as the Bucharest Nine.

"The United States' commitment to NATO... is crystal clear. Article 5 is a sacred commitment that the United States has made. We will defend every inch of NATO territory, every inch of NATO territory," he said.

Article 5 stipulates that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all NATO members, which requires a joint response.

Earlier in the day, President Biden met with US Embassy staff in Warsaw before gathering leaders of the Bucharest Nine - countries such as Poland, Bulgaria, and Lithuania that joined the Western military bloc after being dominated by Moscow under Communist rule. during the Cold War.

During the meeting, President Biden reaffirmed Washington's commitment to their security.

"As the eastern side of NATO, you are the front line of our collective defense. You know better than anyone what is at stake in this conflict. Not only for Ukraine, but also for democratic freedoms across Europe and around the world," said President Biden.

The Kremlin says it views NATO, which could soon expand to include Sweden and Finland, as an existential threat to Russia.

In a joint statement after the meeting, Bucharest's nine member states said they were committed to increasing NATO's military presence on their territory to deter Moscow.

"Russia is the most significant and immediate threat to the security of allies," the statement said.

The declaration was also signed by Hungary, which has rejected several European Union sanctions against Russia.

On Wednesday, the Bucharest Nine, including Hungary, reaffirmed their support for Ukraine.

"Ukraine is exercising its lawful right to defend against Russian aggression to regain full control of its territory," they said in a statement.

"We will continue to support Ukraine's efforts to achieve this goal, for as long as necessary," the statement continued.

Separately, the White House said in a statement that the United States and the Bucharest Nine "reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and underlined their shared commitment to standing with the Ukrainian people for as long as necessary."