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US ambassador to Poland: Collective defense is working against Russia

Ambassador Mark Brzezinski said the war in Ukraine has taken a tremendous toll on the region, but collective defense by NATO is achieving its goal.

US ambassador to Poland: Collective defense is working against Russia
Scripps News
By Haley Bull and Kellan Howell
SMS
February 23, 2023

U.S. President Joe Biden has spent the last few days in Poland, showing the world that Ukraine is still free, and insisting that NATO is stronger than ever in the face of Russia's aggression.

The president's unprecedented trip to Kyiv — coupled with a major speech in Warsaw — and pivotal meetings with leaders of NATO's eastern flank were all aimed at demonstrating the U.S. resolve as the war heads into its second year.

Over the past year, the U.S. and its European allies have funneled billions of dollars in military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and the White House says the support won't end until the war is over.

President Joe Biden.

In Poland, Biden reassures allies that US will defend NATO territory

Biden is meeting with a group of eastern European leaders, reaffirming commitments to defend NATO's eastern flank against Russian aggression.

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But despite Western support, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no signs of scaling back his aggression.

The U.S. ambassador to Poland told Scripps News the war has taken a tremendous toll on the region, but the partnership of NATO members is achieving its goal of defending Ukraine's sovereignty.

"The fundamental impact is that it signals to this part of the world that America has resolve, that collective defense is working, that there's a unity of purpose, and a shared definition of the challenge that we face together," Ambassador Mark Brzezinski said. "That's the starting point for making a long, enduring pushback against what Russia and Putin are doing in Ukraine."

As for the Poles, Brzezinski said Russia's invasion was a stark reminder of the times they experienced during the start of World War II — but that there is one major difference.

"What is happening is 1939," he said. "Except this time, they can do something about it. ... For the American president to come to Poland and convey that every square inch of NATO territory is safe, including Poland, is really important."

President Biden has vowed to stand by Ukraine for as long as the war drags on, and White House officials say more assistance will be coming.