Durbin, McCain to NATO Secretary General: NATO Must Protect Legal International Borders
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ) sent a letter yesterday to NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen regarding the continued Russian aggression toward Ukraine.
“We write to express grave concern over Russian actions in and around Ukraine. Such aggressive military and intelligence operations aimed at destabilizing other sovereign nations threaten decades of European security and are an affront to the values of NATO, the United States, the European Union, and the democratic nations of the world. As such, we urge that NATO demonstrate further resolve in reaffirming its commitment to European security and to those NATO members facing Russian threats on or near their borders. ”
Earlier this week, Durbin and McCain met with Lithuanian Ambassador Žygimantas Pavilionis, Estonian Chargé Tanel Sepp, and Polish Ambassador Ryszard Schnepf to discuss the latest Russian-instigated unrest in eastern Ukraine. Last week, Durbin and McCain met with Russia's Ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, to discuss Russian aggression in the Crimean region and both traveled to Ukraine last month.
Copies of the letter (attached) were also sent to U.S. Supreme Allied Commander for Europe General Phillip Breedlove and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Doug Lute.