The West will continue to support Ukraine, and keep the pressure on Russia - Obama

It is necessary to strengthen cooperation between NATO and the EU to increase support for Ukraine, the US President Barack Obama wrote in an article in the Financial Times on the opening day of the NATO summit in Warsaw .

Russian aggression against Ukraine threatens the unity, freedom and peace in Europe. It is necessary to strengthen cooperation between NATO and the EU, to increase support for Ukraine, which defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Obama wrote.

The task of the Warsaw Summit is "to reaffirm our aspiration and our responsibility, based on Article 5 of the statute of NATO, to protect each member of NATO," Obama said. "And although our country will continue to strive for a more constructive relationship with Russia, we must agree that the anti-Russian sanctions should save power as long as Moscow does not comply fully with its obligations under the Minsk agreements," says the American leader.

According to Obama, the terrorist attacks, organized with the direct or indirect participation of the "Islamic state"  kill civilians in NATO countries "from Orlando to Paris from Brussels to Istanbul."

"The conflicts from Africa to Syria and Afghanistan have caused flows of migrants, seeking asylum  in Europe", and the British referendum on secession from the EU questioned the "future of European integration."

 These problems can be solved, "only by preserving unity as true allies and partners." It is necessary to find a new format of relations between the United Kingdom and EU, as well as to continue  the "special relationship" between the EU and the US - the largest trade and investment  partners worldwide. "Despite the fact that Brexit created some instability, our common prosperity will continue to be based on the unshakable basis of NATO,"  emphasizes Obama.--02D-