U.S. calls for stronger NATO presence in Baltics

The newly appointed U.S.envoy to NATO has called on the organization to bolster its troop presence in the Baltic states to deter a possible attack from Russia.

 Kurt Volker, the new U.S.ambassador to NATO, called for the troops as part of escalating tensions between the West and Russiaover the ongoing conflict in Georgia. Volker said that NATO had to send a strong message to Russia that it would not tolerate a similar attack on the Baltics.

"Those countries are members of NATO; so if there is any attack on those countries we will all respond," Volker said in an interview with the Financial Times published on Wednesday.

"We need to do what NATO ought to do, not in a provocative way and not in a rushed or hasty way. But NATO being credible is what's important," the ambassador said.

Volker cited the fact that the Baltic states have signed on to Article 5 of the military alliance's charter, which guarantees defense of one ally by all the rest in the event of a possible military attack.

"We will have to make sure . . . that the Article 5 commitment is realizable not just as a political matter but as a military matter too," he said.

Volker went on to reassure that " We've got to make clear that NATO is doing that for all Allies, notin a provocative way or a rushed, hasty way, but in a way that visiblyreaffirms our Article 5 commitment to each other.   This is nothingnew." 

NATO spokesman James Appathurai, meanwhile, told journalists that the U.S. proposal was under discussion by NATO states and was expected to be a topic for NATO defense ministers when they hold a informal meeting in Londonon Sept. 18.

"I think he has reflected a sentiment that is more widely shared within the alliance," Appathurai said at a news briefing.

The spokesman said he was not aware of any request from the Baltic states for more visible NATO deployments, but they had previously sought more routine defense planning.

Volker, a career diplomat who was formerly an adviser to John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, took over as NATO ambassador as the Georgiacrisis was unfolding.

The newly appointed ambassador spoke after Monday's emergency summit of EU leaders decided to postpone its negotiations with Russiaon a new partnership agreement, pending the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia.