“We should be careful of a confrontation ourselves, but I do think that we should be providing defensive weapons to the Ukrainians. We do need to help them defend themselves,” Albright told the US Senate Armed Services committee.
The former secretary accused Russia of “breaking the international system,” based on the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Federation. On that basis, she argued the importance of taking “a strong stand there [in Ukraine] by providing capability of Ukrainians to defend themselves,” as well as “taking steps in other art of central and eastern Europe of providing some forces that move around.”
Questioning the efficacy of NATO forces deploying its forces on a rotational or permanent basis to more locations in Europe, the former Secretary of State endorsed a show of US support for the Baltic states through NATO.
“I do think the United States needs to be a part of a grouping, which requires other countries from NATO to be there [in the Baltics],” Albright stated, adding that Germany, Great Britain, and others should also have a significant presence in the region.
The United States has provided financial support and military training to Ukraine and is participating in NATO’s Operation Atlantic Resolve to improve NATO military interoperability and readiness. The US White House has not officially provided the government in Kiev with defensive weapons, despite pressure to do so from some members of the US Congress.
Secretary Albright served under US President Bill Clinton during the NATO-led intervention in Kosovo. She was also US ambassador to the United Nations during the Bosnian war.
