President of the U.S.A Joe Biden repeated today that he would defend himself “every piece of NATO territory”, reassuring Eastern Pact allies after Russia withdrew from the new START nuclear arms control deal, which he called a “big mistake”.

“The commitment of the United States to NATO (…) is clear. Article 5 is a sacred commitment made by the United States. We will protect literally every inch of NATO,” Biden said at the summit.Nine from Bucharest“, in Warsaw.

Article 5 states that an attack on any member NATO this is considered an attack on everyone and requires their joint response.

When asked about the decision of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin withdrawing his country from START-3, he called “a big mistake.”

Most countries on NATO’s eastern wing strongly support sending military aid to Ukraine, and their leaders have called for more resources, such as air defense systems, to be sent to Kyiv.

Biden confirmed at the meeting that Washington is committed to the security of these countries. “You are at the forefront of our collective defense. You know better than anyone what is at stake in this conflict. Not only for Ukraine, but also for the freedom of democracies throughout Europe and the world,” he stressed.

“Immediate Threat”

In a post-summit statement, the Bucharest Nine said it intended to increase NATO’s military presence on its soil as a deterrent to Moscow. “Russia is the most important and immediate security threat” allies, they said. They also expressed their support for Ukraine. “Ukraine is exercising its legitimate right to self-defense against Russian aggression in order to regain full control over its territory. We will continue to support Ukraine’s efforts in this direction for as long as necessary.

The declaration was also signed Hungary, which has often appeared to disagree with European Union sanctions on Russia and, along with Turkey, is the only NATO member that has yet to approve Sweden’s and Finland’s membership bids. Ahead of today’s meeting, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called for a ceasefire and peace talks to avoid further escalation and generalization of the conflict, a stance that runs counter to neighboring countries’ calls for a clear Ukrainian victory in the war.

At the end of the meeting, the President of Poland Andrey Duda he told private television station TVN24 that NATO allies would have to decide whether to send fighter jets to Ukraine and, if such a decision was made, his country could first supply Kiev with the MiGs it still has in its fleet.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that during the meeting he proposed to Biden to deploy HIMARS systems, attack helicopters and other air surveillance systems in the Baltic countries.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.