WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A quarter century after Poland embraced democracy, President Barack Obama held up this nation Wednesday as a guidepost for neighboring Ukraine as it seeks to fend off an insurgency widely believed to be backed by Russia that has rekindled Cold War-era tensions across Europe.

Obama also offered high-profile gestures of American support for Ukraine, holding talks for the first time with the former Soviet republic’s new president-elect and announcing long-sought assistance for the Ukrainian military, including body armor and night vision goggles. Later, in Brussels, Obama attended a meeting of the Group of Seven major industrial nations, with the pointed exclusion of Russia from the gathering.