United States would defend “every inch” of NATO territory while increasing assistance to Ukraine’s military
U.S. President Biden’s national Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the U.S. will “defend every inch of NATO territory” in the wake of a Russian attack on western Ukraine.
“The president has been clear repeatedly that the United States will work with our allies to defend every inch of NATO territory, and that means every inch” Sullivan told CBS. “And if there is a military attack on NATO territory, it would cause the invocation of Article Five, and we would bring the full force of the NATO alliance to bear in responding to it.”
Sullivan said Washington had no plans to have U.S. military forces operating in Ukraine, but the United States would defend “every inch” of NATO territory, while increasing assistance to Ukraine’s military including through provision of anti-aircraft weapons.
“We believe in our capacity to continue to flow substantial amounts of military assistance, weapons, and supplies to the front in Ukraine. And we believe that these weapons are making a significant difference in helping the Ukrainians defend themselves. Of course, we’re merely helping provide the tools. The courage and the bravery and the frontline skill of these fighters is ultimately what’s making the difference” he said.
President Joe Biden, in his first State of the Union address, also vowed to protect “every inch” of allies’ territory, saying that Putin’s actions only strengthened the alliance.
The Russian invasion in Ukraine has killed at least 636 civilians in Ukraine through to March 13, including 46 children, according to UN human rights office (OHCHR). The actual toll is likely much higher as there is limited information from places with intense hostilities such as Kharkiv and Mariupol.
