US President Barack Obama has urged leaders of the NATO military alliance to stand firm against Russia over its “seizure” of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.
Obama made the comments on Friday at a NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, his last NATO summit before he leaves the White House in January.
Ties between the West and Russia have been in tatters since the Crimean Peninsula joined Russia in a referendum in March 2014.
Ukraine has also been carrying out a military crackdown on pro-Russian forces fighting for greater autonomy in the eastern part of the country.
“In Warsaw, we must reaffirm our determination — our duty under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty — to defend every NATO ally,” Obama said.
“We need to bolster the defence of our allies in central and eastern Europe, strengthen deterrence and boost our resilience against new threats, including cyber attacks.”
Obama also told NATO leaders that Britain’s vote to leave the European Union…