UPDATED ON:
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
18:50 Mecca time, 15:50 GMT
 
News Europe
US warns Russia over Baltic states
Admiral Mullen, right, held talks with Valdas Adamkus Lithuanian's president, in Vilnius [AFP]

The United States' senior military leader has said that Nato would abide by its commitment to defend the three Baltic states should they be attacked, amid regional concerns over a newly assertive Russia.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said on Wedenesday: "Nato's commitment under Article Five for mutual defence is a very real commitment and it is one that Nato, I am confident, would stand up to."

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia broke from the Soviet Union in 1991 and joined the Western military alliance in 2004.

The states remain wary of long-time dominant neighbour Russia, particularly after its conflict with Georgia in August.

US 'assurance'

Mullen made the comments in Lithuania's capital Vilnius at a news conference with Valdas Adamkus, the country's president.

"I certainly understand the reactions in places like Ukraine or the Baltics after what had happened in Georgia," Mullen said.

"And in part why I am here is... to reassure your countries, that the US is very committed to those obligations."

Mullen, who visited Latvia on Tuesday, said the US had "made that [reassurance to Baltic states] very clear" to General Nikolai Makarov, head of the Russian general staff, during a meeting in Helsinki this week.

The admiral said he saw a need for more joint military exercises with Baltic states, both in the Nato framework and bilaterally with Washington. 

The US has just taken over the rotating air police mission over the Baltic states, which have no fighter planes of their own.

 Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 10
 
PARTIZAN
Russian Federation
22/10/2008
WOW, another american army boy speaks out in treath against russia! Well, we in russia are quaet used to it! if they wanted to attack us they would of done it by now, its just another p.r. stunt... Americans should sitdown and shutup! Their word means noting now!

milan
United States
23/10/2008
baltic sh.t states
We all know that usa defends fascism, so why fret about it?

Dane
Australia
23/10/2008
Russia never, even in her wildest dream consider to attack baltic countries, This is a pathetic political provocation by USA and NATO. We al know it.

Klaus
Afghanistan
23/10/2008
Al-Jazeera and the censorship
Why do you try to make-up the reality and eliminate the comments that could embarrase the Jews and the USA? Look at that Jewish propaganda-mashine in Georgia and Baltic. And you Muslims in Kaukasus are just some dumb marionettes in the hand of Boris Berezovski, the Jewish Mafioso. Mossad and CIA arranged good these wars in Kaukasus, to block Russia to help the Muslim World with weapons and ammunition. And you Al-Jazeera are just a pressure-ventil made by CNN.

mike
Canada
24/10/2008
Sure they would, just like France and Britain protected Poland from Russians and Germans in 1939.... They had mutual defence agreements too.

Christopher N Okonmah
Malaysia
24/10/2008
US warns Russia over Baltic states
The situation in the Baltic states is tense, because of the mistrust that exists between the indigeness and the Russian speaking population, especially after the Russian- Geogian conflict and America will do well not to inflame the already fragile mood there. Russia has already laid down the principles that will guide it's new foreign policy, and these include, protecting the Russuan citizens wherever they are residing, therefore, America should ensure the safety of Russians in the Baltics.

Klaus
Germany
23/10/2008
Good joke: broke US warns wealthy Russia
Hey Mr Mullen, did you have enough money to pay the call from Vilnius to Moscow or did pay the Lithuanians ? :-) Soon it will look like "We wanna see CASH not U$-dollars"

Eaniel
Slovakia
23/10/2008
"Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia broke from the Soviet Union in 1991 and joined the Western military alliance in 2004." Those countries didnt break from Soviet. Soviet was dissolved, the only country that really break from Soviet was Russia and that was the reason why Soviet was dissolved at all. Seems like many people, politics, journalists, presidents, prime ministers, still using myths, bandweagon ideas about the Soviet time. There is not hope!!

Raj
United Kingdom
23/10/2008
Russia vs USA (War)
The Americans can hardly boast about their war prowess, after all they have only invaded and harassed about 50 3rd world countries since WW2 and now that a fight with the Russians is on the cards, the world will see what these cowards are really made of - "mummy hide me, the Russians are coming to kick my bullying a**!"

Douglas
Canada
24/10/2008
The US might not be perfect, but their a lot better than Russia, and these states sovereignty should be defended.

 
ARTICLE TOOLS
 Email Article  Email article
 Print Article  Print article
 Send Feedback  Send feedback
 Share article  Share article