Obama Urges Unity in Europe at 'Pivotal Moment'

　　President Barack Obama pledged long-term U.S. support for Europe and urged unity at what he said was a “pivotal moment” for the NATO alliance and Europe.

　　“In this challenging moment, I want to take this opportunity to state clearly what will never change, and that is the unwavering commitment of the United States to the security and defense of Europe, to our transatlantic relationship, to our commitment to our common defense,” Obama said at the close Saturday of a NATO summit that U.S. officials called the most crucial gathering of the alliance since the Cold War.

　　U.S. officials said the NATO summit marked a turning point in which NATO is shifting its focus from reassurance to deterrence. At the start of the summit Friday, Obama announced the U.S. would send nearly 1,000 troops to Poland as part of what officials said was a modest force whose purpose would be to deter Russian aggression.

　　NATO members also agreed to additional deployments in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as part of what NATO officials said was the alliance’s largest deployment since the end of the Cold War.

　　The decision to boost rapid-response forces followed pressure by leaders of the Baltics, which analysts say are especially vulnerable to Russian aggression. Defense analysts say recent studies show Russian forces could take any one of the Baltic capitals within 60 hours.

　　Larger Russian presence

　　Russia has repeatedly denounced the military buildup and vowed to place additional Russian soldiers in the region, where it already maintains a large military presence. Russia is also showing no signs of ending its intervention in Ukraine after more than two years.

　　WATCH: Obama Urges Unity in Europe at 'Pivotal Moment'

　　Speaking to VOA's Serbian service, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin said Russia's presence in Ukraine needed to end, but that NATO was looking for cooperation, not confrontation.

　　“Clearly, Russia is the aggressor," the Maryland Democrat said. "What we're trying to do is get Russia to follow international law. So, yes, we have taken sanction steps against Russia for its invasion into Ukraine. Yes, we continue to speak out against what they are doing that we think is counterproductive to security in our region. But our hope is that we will get the cooperation of Russia to respect their international commitments.”

　　Earlier this year, NATO officially invited Montenegro to become the alliance's 29th member, once its bid is approved by the alliance's legislative bodies. Cardin said he saw bipartisan support for the country's bid in the U.S. Congress.

　　Montenegro's defense minister, Milica Pejanovic-Djurisic, told VOA in Warsaw that above everything else, the country's entry into NATO was about stability and security.

　　"Montenegro is in a position to talk about these things not only when it comes to our own situation, for ensuring the full security of our own citizens, but also from the point that we are able to further on project stability and security into the region of the western Balkans, which is essential for the vision of ensuring that Europe remains at peace," she said.