Cameron Says G8 Summit Cancelled, UK Will Help Baltic States With Defences

British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the United Kingdom will help NATO secure the Baltic states against Russia. Statements by Russian diplomats and ambassadors raised alarms in Latvia and Estonia and they fear they could be President Vladimir Putin’s next target: 

The prime minister told ITV News: “I don’t think it’s necessary to change our plans to base British soldiers in Britain but I think what is important is that we send a very clear message to our Nato partners and allies that we believe in Nato and we believe in their security. That’s why, for instance, we’re helping some of the Baltic states with their defence and their needs. That’s what we should be doing and that’s what we’re very much committed to doing.”

According to the Guardian, Cameron just announced the G8 summit in Sochi, Russia is cancelled.

We should be clear there’s not going to be a G8 summit this year in Russia. That’s absolutely clear.

Russia needs to change course. We need to send a very clear message to President Putin that it would be completely unacceptable to send more troops into Ukraine.

Last week, Vice President Biden met with leaders of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and reassured them the US will defend their NATO allies. All four countries are NATO countries. Article 5 of the NATO treaty states an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all.

Cameron is on his way to The Hague for a nuclear security summit and a G7 meeting. The members of the G7 will meet after the summit to discuss more sanctions against Russia since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will attend the summit in Putin’s place. The US State Department said Secretary John Kerry will hold talks with Lavrov in another attempt to end the Ukraine-Russia crisis diplomatically.

NATO and the United Nations do not recognise the March 16 Crimean referendum and have sent many warnings to Russia over their aggression against Ukraine. President Obama imposed harsh sanctions against Putin’s inner circle and his preferred bank.