Tensions are high as the NATO summit kicks off in Warsaw amid strained ties with Russia, Britain’s "Brexit" vote to leave the European Union, attacks by Islamic State (IS) extremists, and Europe's unprecedented refugee crisis. In a commentary published on the Financial Times website on July 8, U.S. President Barack Obama said the summit "may be the most important moment for our transatlantic alliance since the end of the cold war."
Meanwhile in Russia, the pro-Kremlin tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets issued a thinly veiled threat.
Polish president Andrzej Duda gave an upbeat opening speech in which he called the Warsaw summit a "historic event during which the alliance will prove its strength, its unity, and its efficiency."
He called on NATO members to show a united front as they tackle the "significant challenges" facing the alliance and address "growing fears for the future of the world as we know it."
Duda added that NATO was happy to welcome Montenegro. He described Montenegro's inclusion as a “positive example for other nations that aspire” to join the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Montenegro will be a member of NATO as soon as all 28 members ratify the accession protocol. He said the alliance was working with Georgia and Ukraine “as close partners.”
The BBC reports that hundreds of British troops will be sent to Poland and Estonia as part of NATO's response to potential threats from Russia on Europe's eastern border.
Stoltenberg: "Today, we will agree to enhance our forward presence in the east of the Alliance. In Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and here in Poland. We will deploy, by rotation, a robust, multinational battalion in each of the countries. Making clear that an attack against one Ally will be met by forces from across the Alliance."
A full transcript of his speech is available here.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is boosting its presence on Europe's eastern borders “in response to what Russia did in Ukraine.”
Speaking to journalists, he said Russia has shown it is “willing to use force against sovereign nations in Europe," and denounced Moscow's "illegal" annexation of Crimea.
NATO's response, he said, is “defensive, proportionate, and fully in line with our international commitments."
Russia's state-run news agency Sputnik is stepping up its efforts to discredit NATO and the EU: