The US tries to calm the fear of the Baltic countries that Putin “does not stop” in Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tried Monday to reassure Washington’s Baltic allies on a visit to the region, in which he heard concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin could go beyond his invasion of Ukraine to redraw the borders of Europe.

Blinken spent the weekend in neighboring Ukraine, Poland and Moldova, before visiting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, NATO members that were once ruled from Moscow and fear they could face further Russian aggression.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, addressing Blinken, said Russian leader Vladimir Putin “will not stop at Ukraine” and that the world had an obligation to help Ukrainians “by all available means.”

“I mean, effectively, all means if we want to avoid World War III. The choice is in our hands,” she stated.

“Deterrence is no longer enough and we need advanced defense here because otherwise it will be too late, Mr. Secretary. Putin will not stop in Ukraine if he is not stopped,” Nauseda said.

Russia calls the campaign it launched on February 24 a “special operation” that it says is not designed to occupy territory, but to destroy its neighbor’s military capabilities and capture what it sees as dangerous nationalists.

Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians.

Before leaving Vilnius for Riga, he said that NATO was continuously reviewing its defense posture, including considering the possibility of further permanent deployments, as the Baltic states have requested.

“Nobody should doubt our preparation, nobody should doubt our determination,” Blinken said.

The US commitment to NATO Article 5, which guarantees mutual defense among member states, is “sacrosanct,” Blinken added.

NATO countries have increased their presence in the Baltic nations and more troops and equipment are on the way. Some 400 US troops from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team will arrive in Lithuania in the coming days, Blinken said.

Moscow had tried to undermine Lithuania’s democracy and sow polarization among its population with cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, Blinken added.

“This is because the free, open, vibrant and prosperous society that the Lithuanian people have built since the end of the Soviet occupation demonstrates what is possible when people choose the path of democracy instead of autocracy,” Blinken declared.

Lithuania also joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in calling for an embargo on Russian energy on Monday.

Blinken said on Sunday that the United States and its European allies were studying the possibility of banning imports of Russian oil.

“The energy sources that we import pay for the Russian military operation. We cannot pay for oil and gas with Ukraine’s blood,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told a joint news conference with Blinken.

However, Russian gas cannot be easily substituted. Norway, Europe’s second largest supplier, is already operating at full capacity, and Europe’s existing LNG terminals have limited capacity to absorb the extra supply.

The top US diplomat earlier told US embassy staff in Vilnius that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine defied basic principles designed to keep peace between nations.

“It is important that people understand what is really at stake and that it goes beyond even Ukraine, beyond even the Baltic countries, beyond even Europe,” Blinken said.