Remarks to the Press by Vice President Joe Biden, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, and President Andris Berzins of Latvia

The White House

Office of the Vice President

Presidential Palace
Vilnius, Lithuania

1:20 P.M. (Local)

March 19, 2014

PRESIDENT GRYBAUSKAITE:  (As interpreted.)  Good afternoon. So today we had an important meeting with U.S. Vice President Biden and Latvian President Berzins.  With our partners, we discussed the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the security of the Baltic States and Europe as a whole.  I see it as a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the entire international community.

We witnessed the use of brutal force to redraw the map of Europe and to undermine the postwar political architecture established in Europe.  We strongly condemn Russian actions on the territory of sovereign Ukraine.  We consider Sunday’s referendum and its results illegal.  The so-called referendum is a violation of the constitution of Ukraine, international law and the United Nations Charter. 

De facto Russia is carrying out the annexation of Crimea and this is happening very close to the borders of Lithuania.  The situation is a direct threat to our regional security.  Therefore, we must take all the necessary measures to ensure the security of Europe and the Baltic region. 

And this is what we discussed with Vice President Biden and Latvian President Berzins.  And I would like to thank the United States, especially, which immediately responded to the threats and took all necessary actions to ensure regional security, including the reinforcement of NATO-Baltic air policing mission. The United States is a strategic partner of Lithuania and the Baltic countries.  It has always firmly supported and continues to support our aspirations to ensure political, military, economic, and energy security in the region.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT BERZINS:  Ladies and gentlemen.  Dalia, thank you for hosting this event.  I was happy in a different way to see your country (inaudible.) 

Secondly, I would like to appreciate the visit of Vice President Joe Biden to the Baltic States.  Thank you for fulfilling your promise to come to us on this very, very important current stage.  But I would like to thank you for unwavering reassurance.  It is a clear reference to Article 5 by our NATO ally, the United States, to the security of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, as expressed by the Vice President during our meeting earlier today.
 
The situation in Ukraine caused by annexation of Crimea is alarming.  This dramatically re-forms the European security structure with global implications.  Today we discussed the need for not only the immediate de-escalation of the situation, but also for long-term solutions for the security architecture.  I am glad that we could offer some practical steps with regard during our discussions today.  The same practical approach (inaudible) energy security -- there is the issue of supply need to be addressed.  As a good example here, I would like to underline the need to accelerate the construction of gas interconnection linking Poland, Lithuania and further on, to Latvia, and using storage facilities in Latvia.

Madam President, dear Vice President, we exchanged views on the situation inside Ukraine.  We share the opinion that Ukraine must be helped immediately, both politically and economically.  And I can only praise the United States and the European Union alike for very decisive steps outlining their commitment in this regard.

Yesterday, immediately after meeting with President Komorowski, I got a call from him and we agreed to coordinate our activities over the short term and also in longer term. (Inaudible) this common view on September in NATO meeting in U.K. This coordination and support of U.S. is very, very crucial in current stage and we are fully convinced that working closely together we will come to peaceful solution immediately for Ukraine and for all future activities for whole world.  This is most crucial for it.

Thank you.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you.  Madam President, thank you for the hospitality.  It’s great to see you again, to be with you again, particularly in such magnificent surroundings.  Thank you for the hospitality.  And, Mr. President, it’s good to see you again.  It’s good to be back in Vilnius.

For 50 years, three embassies in exile in Washington, D.C. stood as a symbol of America’s commitment to freedom and independence and the people of the Baltics.  Next week, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of your membership in NATO as fellow free nations and close friends.  Nobody understands better than the people of the Baltics the value of freedom.  And nobody understands better the promise of a Europe whole, free, and at peace.

Today, I spoke with my colleagues, the Presidents of Lithuania and Latvia, about the situation in Ukraine.  Yesterday, I met with Estonian President Ilves and the President of Poland and the Prime Minister of Poland in Warsaw.  Just as you did a generation ago, the Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians join hands in a human chain of freedom. 

Ukrainians have shown tremendous courage to realize their aspirations for a better life and integration into the institutions of their choice -- not anyone else’s choice -- of their choice.  Russia has chosen to respond with military aggression, a referendum rejected by virtually the entire world, illegal efforts to annex Crimea, and now reports of armed attacks against Ukrainian military personnel and installations in Crimea. 

I want to make it clear:  We stand resolutely with our Baltic allies in support of the Ukrainian people and against Russian aggression.  As long as Russia continues on this dark path, they will face increasing political and economic isolation.

There are those who say that this action shows the old rules still apply, but Russia cannot escape the fact that the world is changing and rejecting outright their behavior.  Global markets and the international community will and should bet in the long run on countries that reject aggression and corruption, embrace openness and live up to their obligations.  Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania understand this well.  That doesn’t mean that there aren’t aggressors out there that require firm and resolute response.  There always have been and there always will be.  But it does mean that there are costs, and growing costs, that come with naked aggression.

Madam President, Mr. President, the reason I traveled to the Baltics was to reaffirm our mutual commitment to collective defense.  President Obama wanted me to come personally to make it clear what you already know, that under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, we will respond.  We will respond to any aggression against a NATO ally. 

As someone who fought for your nation’s admission into NATO, rest assured we take our responsibilities very, very, very seriously -- the President does; I do; my nation does.  That’s why we have in the recent past beefed up our U.S. rotation in NATO Baltic air policing program, which protects the skies above Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.  And that will continue to be the case.  We’ve also asked other members of NATO to make additional contributions to this and other efforts, and I’m confident they will step forward.

Looking ahead, we’re exploring a number of additional steps to increase the pace and scope of our military cooperation, including rotating U.S. forces of the Baltic region to conduct ground and naval exercises, and training missions.  The question today is not what can America do for the Baltic nations; it is what can we do together -- what can we do together. 

The Baltic nations have shown leadership at the OSCE, the European Union, the Eastern Partnership and the U.N. Security Council.  Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian troops have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Americans in Afghanistan and have served in difficult regional and global security missions. 

I know that President Obama will want to use the upcoming NATO summit in South Wales to generate concrete commitments to ensure that NATO is able to meet its Article 5 obligations to all members, which has been a priority from him and me since the beginning of our administration. 

And, finally, we spoke of energy.  We spoke about energy cooperation.  We have learned the hard way that protecting the sovereignty of nations depends on having more than one supplier of energy.  We support your efforts within the European Union to diversify your energy sources, to create more flexible energy markets, and to translate energy innovation into energy security so that no nation can use supplies of energy as a political weapon or a quasi-military weapon against you.

As Ukraine fights for its future, the success of the Baltic nations, your success, paints a picture of what is possible for nations that respect the rights and unleash the talents of their people as both your countries have done. 

We are in this with you together.  We are absolutely committed.  May God bless you and your people, and my God bless our troops.  Thank you very much.

END
2:07 P.M. (local)

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Remarks to the Press by Vice President Joe Biden and President Toomas Ilves of Estonia

The White House

Office of the Vice President

Warsaw Marriott Hotel
Warsaw, Poland

5:20 P.M. (Local)

March 18, 2014

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Mr. President, I was pleased to have another chance to get together with you and speak with you today, and I appreciate the fact you made the time to see me in the midst of your own state visit to Poland.  I appreciate it very much.  And I look forward to seeing your fellow Baltic heads of state tomorrow in Vilnius. 

Estonia’s success is, in our view, a living testament to what’s possible -- where innovators can breathe free and people can speak their minds, where democratic rights and universal freedoms are protected, and when countries are free to choose their own path. 

The Estonian people, like many of Russia’s neighbors, have a personal stake in what’s happening in Ukraine.  Your history reminds us of how vigilant you have to remain.  And today, Mr. President, we’ve consulted on a path ahead.  We spoke about the steps we’re taking alongside many other nations to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; to help Ukraine stabilize its economy and conduct fair and free democratic elections; and to condemn and reject Russia’s illegal -- absolutely illegal conduct in taking steps to annex Crimea.  And also, we talked about how to impose costs on Russia for their aggression.  There’s no other word for it; it’s aggression.

And when we speak about costs, we’re talking about more than just sanctions.  We’re talking about Russia putting itself on a path that undermines long-term confidence and creates obstacles for its full participation in the global economy.  That path they’ve placed themselves on does nothing to help the next generation of Russians compete and succeed in a world that will be led by the most open, innovative and dynamic economies.

The President and I also discussed our commitments as NATO allies.  I came here today and will travel to Vilnius tomorrow to stand with our NATO allies and reconfirm and reaffirm our shared commitment to collective self-defense, to Article 5.  I want to make it absolutely clear what it means to the Estonian people and all the people of the Baltics.  President Obama and I view Article 5 of the NATO Treaty as an absolutely solemn commitment which we will honor -- we will honor.

And that’s why, in the past few weeks, we’ve had substantial -- we have substantially augmented the U.S. rotation of NATO’s Baltic air policing program and that protects the skies over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.  We’re working to line up countries to continue to augment that rotation after our turn comes to an end and we will turn the mission over to Poland.

Looking ahead, we’re exploring a number of additional steps to increase the pace and scope of our military cooperation, including rotating U.S. forces to the Baltic region to conduct ground and naval exercise, as well as training missions.  Next week will mark the 10th anniversary of the Baltic States’ membership in NATO.

A decade ago, I had the privilege as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, as a United States senator, to champion your admission.  The security partnership we built together has surpassed even the high expectations of those of us who argued on behalf of admission.  I know because, as I said, I was one of them. 

In Afghanistan, Estonian troops fought alongside Americans. We worked closely together on cybersecurity, which you’re leading.  Estonia remains one of the few NATO countries that invests, has committed, 2 percent of its gross domestic product to defense year after year.

The relationship, Mr. President, goes beyond security as well as our discussions did.  Mr. President, we admire and value Estonia’s contribution and the example you set as a successful young democracy.  Ours is a partnership based on shared values, and it’s no surprise we work together to support other young democracies like Tunisia and Moldova.  And as we discussed today, Mr. President, we’re working to create an even greater economic integration and cooperation to diversify your sources of energy.

Mr. President, for decades America kept faith with the dream of freedom and independence of the Baltic people.  Your security and your success matters a great deal to us.  Your friendship also matters, and your personal friendship as well.

So, Mr. President, thank you for making time for us.  And may God bless the people of Estonia, and may God protect our troops.

PRESIDENT TOOMAS ILVES:  Thank you, Mr. Vice President.  And thank you for illustrating what a close relationship we have with this great idea of getting together and discussing how things are going, because ultimately that’s how allies are.  We don’t have these formal meetings where you come in and prearrange, but we get together to discuss how we see things.  And I think that is what -- that is the essence of an alliance, is being able to talk with your friends and like-minded people about what needs to be done.  And today was a great example of precisely this kind of meeting, and it was -- that’s why I say thank you, because it reassured me that things are going the right way.

And of course, we did come here to discuss things that aren’t going the right way.  The Ukrainian crisis is something that causes concern for all people who believe in freedom and justice and rule of law, and also even in international law, where we see such blatant cases of aggression, of violations of international law, where, if the international community does not stand up, the international order will collapse because the kinds of behavior we’ve seen is dangerous for the world. 

And here, again, thank you for the U.S.’s leadership in the Security Council, and especially Ambassador Power’s great statements.  We really liked them in Estonia.

But when we think about where we are, it’s quite clear that we are -- the actions of the last several weeks have led us to -- are forcing us to reassess the past or the assumptions of the past 20, 25 years.  The old idea of NATO, which I remember from 20 years ago, out of the area or out of business, predicated on a Europe that no longer has any threats.  That, unfortunately, has turned out, with the actions we’ve seen against Ukraine, no longer to apply. 

The East-West relationship needs to be put on a new standing.  We and NATO must draw our conclusions from Russia’s behavior in the current crisis; we need and must conduct a review of the entire range of NATO-Russia relations.  The principles -- the well-meaning, fundamental principles of the 1997 Founding Act -- NATO-Russia Founding Act don’t apply anymore.  There is no more respect for territorial integrity, for transparency.  And if that is the case, we have to draw our own conclusions.  And that is my hope -- that at the upcoming NATO summit in Wales, we will have drawn our own conclusions and refocus on collective defense. The raison d’etre of NATO is to defend members of the Alliance and defend the territory of the members of the Alliance. And so a refocus on the original idea of NATO is what must come out of Wales.

We discussed, also, the response of Europe.  Europe has responded, but it is our belief in Estonia, and, I understand, in some other countries -- among them, the United States -- that the response must be more robust than it has been.  The response should not be about the price of gas, it must be about common values and the price of not adhering to those common values.  That is a far more serious and costly price, is giving up our values.

So tomorrow, when the Council will meet in Brussels, Estonia will be championing those values.  And it is my sincere hope that many members of the European Union will join us in standing up for the values that make Europe Europe. 

Specifically on our bilateral relations, let me say, once again, I’d like to thank you, Mr. Vice President, and the United States, for your very swift response to the crisis, and the augmentation of Baltic air policing, backing us up when we feel a need for it.  That is what NATO is about.  On our part, you can count on us to do what it takes to not only keep up our share of 2 percent, but also when it comes to helping out in Ukraine, for example, our knowhow is there to be used and we are committed to you to help.

Ultimately, I think this, once again, a serious crisis in Europe has shown that the presence of the United States in Europe -- and especially in our region, the Baltic area -- is absolutely vital.  It is what allows us to give credibility to NATO.  And we thank you for helping us in this way and giving NATO that credibility that all of Europe so desperately needs. 

END   
5:32 P.M (Local)

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