WASHINGTON — President Obama said Wednesday the United States isn’t getting into a Cold War with Russia, despite Moscow’s land grab in Crimea that has drawn international condemnation and sanctions.
“This is not another Cold War that we’re entering into,” Obama said at a speech in Belgium, where he tried to forge a coherent response with European leaders to Russia’s tactics.
“After all, unlike the Soviet Union, Russia leads no bloc of nations, no global ideology. The United States and NATO do not seek any conflict with Russia. In fact, for more than 60 years we have come together in NATO not to claim other lands but to keep nations free,” he said.
The president repeated his warning that in the 21st century, “the borders of Europe cannot be redrawn with force,” as Western leaders met to negotiate efforts to tighten sanctions further on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.
If Russia stays on its course, “the isolation will deepen,” Obama warned at a press conference with the head of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
On a day when he also visited the World War I battleground at Flanders Fields and visited NATO headquarters, Obama called for other allies to kick in for mutual defense.
“The situation in Ukraine reminds us that our freedom isn’t free,” Obama said.