“The events in Ukraine have been a wake up call and demand change in the West's approach to central and eastern Europe.”
WARSAW, Poland – U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after a media roundtable in Warsaw, Poland, concluding a four-day trip to NATO countries to reemphasize U.S. commitment to Europe after Russia’s destabilizing actions in Ukraine.
“The events in Ukraine have been a wake up call and demand change in the West's approach to central and eastern Europe. We must deal with a new reality together with Poland and our NATO partners,” said Corker.
“This is a moment in time where Europe will have to decide whether NATO will be a real or hollowed out alliance,” added Corker. “It is also a defining moment for U.S. leadership, and when the president travels to Poland he should convey a vision and lay out mid- to long-term plans to strengthen NATO and our Trans-Atlantic relationship as a whole.”
Building off of his April trip to Moldova and Ukraine, Senator Corker visited Estonia, Romania and Poland this week to discuss bilateral relations with the U.S and reassert U.S. commitment to Europe.
Senator Corker recently introduced legislation as a strategic response to Russian aggression in Europe that would strengthen the NATO alliance, impose tough sanctions to deter further Russian aggression, and provide support to non-NATO partners of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
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