US Pressident Obama Reassures Eastern Europe after Deal with Russia

Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov (right) is shaking hands with US President Barack Obama before the dinner in Prague during which the US President affirmed American security guarantees for 11 NATO allies in Eastern Europe. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The leaders of 11 Eastern European members of NATO, including Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, attended a dinner hosted by US President Barack Obama in Prague.

The dinner took place later Thursday night after earlier the same day the American President and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, signed the agreement for the START 2 treaty reducing their nuclear stockpiles.

The deals with the Russians, however, are not going to US security guarantees to the NATO member states in Eastern Europe, senior White House staff have made it clear, as cited by BGNES.

"This notion that somehow if we work with Russia that's to the disadvantage of our allies, like the Czech Republic, that's absolutely absurd," stated in Prague Michael McFaul, Russia adviser to Obama.

The White House has pointed out in a statement the benefits for the Eastern European states from improved US-Russian relations.

It further states that the 11 Eastern European leaders actually view the the better relations between Russia and America as a positive development which ”has reduced tensions and created new opportunities for them to improve their relations with Russia".

A major topic at the US President’s dinner with the Eastern European leaders was the creation of a EU missile shield in Europe. The Obama administration has altered the original plan of former President George W. Bush to base the future missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, and plans to place elements of it in Bulgaria and Romania instead.

Easlier on Thursday the American President made it clear the US wanted to cooperate with Russia on the establishing of a missile defense system, whereas Medvedev said he hoped a compromise could be achieved in that respect despite certain misgivings on part of Russia.

The US says its future missile defense in Europe will be designed to protect its allies from missiles launched from Iran.