Wrapping up a two-day NATO summit in Wales, President Obama said Friday the 28-member alliance is united in its commitment to tackling some pressing problems.
“Our alliance will continue to do whatever is necessary to ensure our collective defense and to protect our citizens,” Obama said.
That starts with Russia and President Vladimir Putin.
Obama said the United States and Europe are finalizing another round of economic sanctions against Russia, as it continues to threaten the sovereignty of neighboring Ukraine.
NATO will also create a military “rapid response force” to bolster NATO defense capabilities in Eastern Europe.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine threatens our vision of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace,” Obama said.
NATO’s attention is also focused on the Middle East and Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria.
Obama received no pushback from allies about the need to help combat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. NATO will provide security and humanitarian support to Iraqi forces on the front lines, with the goal of ultimately defeating ISIS. But Obama said the effort will take time.
“Our goal is to act with urgency but to also make sure that we’re doing it right,” he said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but we are steadily moving in the right direction and we’re going to achieve our goal.”
