U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived on Tuesday in Romania to reassure Eastern European nations of America’s support for the region, Biden said they all “must remain resolute in imposing greater costs on Russia and imposing those costs together.”
“Europe’s borders should never again be changed at the point of a gun, which is why we continue to condemn — condemn — Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea,” Biden said as he met American and Romanian forces involved in joint military exercises, AP reports.
“So I’m here to say on behalf of the president what I hope you already know: You can count on us. Period,” Mr. Biden guaranteed. “We do what we say, and we mean what we say.”
Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine and is a member of NATO and the European Union, has called for a stronger NATO presence in Eastern Europe in response to Russia’s actions.
The US official also tackled the issue of energy independence, saying that Russia should not use its resources as a weapon against its neighbors.
“Russia should not be able to use its resources as a weapon against its neighbors. (…) The security of stability of this region depend on the existance of several suppliers and several methods of delivering energy. A more stable and secure supply for Europe would translate to a stable and more secure world economy. (…) The US is prepared to help. For a long time the USA has supported EU efforts to diversify energy sources, to create energy markets with increased flexibility, so that no country can use energy as a political weapon. We will continue to support Romania as a country that is not quite as dependent on Russian energy so it can play a vital part in integrating and interconnecting European energy sources“, the American official claimed.
Biden will meet President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Wednesday.