Eastern European diplomats appeal for U.S. help against Russia

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Eastern European diplomats appeal for U.S. help against Russia

By Patricia Zengerle

 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin arrives to testify before the Senate Appropriations State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington March 7, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Diplomats from six Eastern European countries appealed to U.S. senators on Tuesday to help them stand up against interference from Russia, including cyber attacks, and insisted that sanctions imposed on Moscow should not be lifted anytime soon.

 

The foreign minister of Ukraine as well as the ambassadors to Washington from Poland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia appeared at a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing on Russian activity in their countries.

 

"Until Russia gets off Ukrainian land, there should be no easing up of sanctions. If anything, they should be increased," said Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.

 

Other diplomats agreed, describing efforts within their countries and others to lessen their dependence on Russian natural gas for their energy needs.

 

"We really think about diversification," said Piotr Wilczek, Poland's ambassador to Washington.

 

Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the subcommittee overseeing the State Department and foreign aid, called the hearing amid concerns that President Donald Trump might not stand up to Moscow, including talk that he might lift sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea.

 

Graham signalled that he supported continued aid, calling it important to U.S. security.

 

"The safer you are, the safer we will be," Graham said.

 

Trump has frequently praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for improved relations with Moscow while Graham has been one of the most vocal congressional critics of such statements.

 

'HYBRID WAR'

 

Graham also noted concern over Russian cyber attacks seeking to intervene in the 2016 U.S. election won by Trump. Graham said he did not believe Russia changed the election outcome.

 

Members of congressional appropriations committees will soon be setting out spending plans for next year, and the Trump administration has already discussed steep cuts in foreign aid as well as to the State Department.

 

Graham said he wanted a better relationship with Russia, but that would not happen until Russia changed. He spoke shortly after having lunch with Trump, and told the diplomats he expected the new president would be a good ally.

 

Several members of the subcommittee asked which type of assistance was most useful. The diplomats said military assistance, including defensive weapons.

 

The United States in January began its largest military reinforcement of Europe in decades, when 2,700 troops arrived in Poland. The region requested U.S. and NATO troops after Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

 

The diplomats described Russia's behaviour as "hybrid warfare," combining cyber attacks and propaganda with the threat or use of force. For example, Georgian Ambassador David Bakradze described Russian broadcasts that discouraged Georgians from supporting the country's efforts to join the NATO alliance.

 

Moscow backed two breakaway regions in the 2008 war with Tbilisi and one-fifth of Georgian territory remains under the control of pro-Russian separatists.

 

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, editing by G Crosse)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-08

[whatawonderfulday]

What with Trump being a recently activated Russian "sleeper"  - no chance they will get any support from the Associate United States of Russia

[brain150]

Propaganda at its best ... nothing more to say

[heybruce]

These countries are right to be concerned about possibility of Trump throwing allies under the bus in order to cozy up to Russia.  The US should be equally concerned.

[IAMHERE]

Sure these Eastern Europeans think Americans should fight and die for them, pay for their defense needs too. Good plan on their part but doesn't give the USA much in return. Hope POTUS can get a better deal than the old POTUS got for shuffling up 2700 troops as cannon fodder, the USA got nothing for them other than the bill.

[heybruce]

21 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

Sure these Eastern Europeans think Americans should fight and die for them, pay for their defense needs too. Good plan on their part but doesn't give the USA much in return. Hope POTUS can get a better deal than the old POTUS got for shuffling up 2700 troops as cannon fodder, the USA got nothing for them other than the bill.

Our NATO allies have been taking casualties fighting US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  As a percent of population Estonia lost more people in Afghanistan than the US.

 

Also, the NATO alliance is meant to constrain Russia.  Having Russia dominate all of Europe and China dominate all of Asia is not in our interest.  We want allies in this effort.  Most of the US does, I'm not sure about Trump.

[alocacoc]

Cyber Attacks? Vault7 is out. There you find the real evils.

[heybruce]

13 minutes ago, alocacoc said:

Cyber Attacks? Vault7 is out. There you find the real evils.

US intelligence uses the internet.  Just like every other intelligence agency and a large number of criminal enterprises.  Are you surprised?