U.S. seeks to calm ally fears that ‘Putin will not stop’

STORY: During a visit to Lithuania, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to reassure Washington’s Baltic allies, where fear is mounting that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine in trying to redraw the borders of Europe.

Blinken spent the weekend in Ukraine’s neighbors, Poland and Moldova, and on Monday visited Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, NATO members that were once ruled from Moscow.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda warned that "Russia's reckless aggression" could lead to a "third world war."

"We need forward defense here in place because otherwise it will be too late, dear Mr. Secretary. Putin will not stop in Ukraine, if he will not be stopped. It is our collective duty and obligation to help heroic Ukrainians with all means available.”

Blinken also met with Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics as well as the prime minister and president.

Rinkevics called for a permanent presence of U.S. troops in the country.

"We think that it's essential, looking at the most recent developments, that NATO forces have a permanent presence because we have no illusions about Putin's Russia anymore, we don't really see any good reason to assume Russia might change its policy."

Blinken assured allies that NATO was continuously reviewing its defense posture, including by looking at more permanent deployments….

invoking NATO’s Article 5 guarantee of mutual defense between member states.

“The U.S. commitment to Article 5 – an attack on one is an attack on all – that commitment is sacrosanct. And as President Biden repeated to the American people in his State of the Union address just a few days ago we will defend every inch of NATO territory if it comes under attack. No one should doubt our readiness, no one should doubt our resolve.”

Russia calls the campaign it launched on Feb. 24 a "special operation" that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its neighbor's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

But as Russia grows more aggressive, NATO countries have ramped up their presence in the Baltic nations and more troops and equipment are said to be on the way.

Blinken said some 400 U.S. troops from the First Armored Brigade Combat Team would be arriving in Lithuania in the coming days.