Merkel says Eastern European countries unsettled by Russia

BERLIN – Chancellor Angela Merkel says that Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has deeply unsettled NATO’s Eastern European member states and that the Baltic states and Poland therefore “need a clear reassurance by the alliance.”

The chancellor addressed German Parliament ahead of the NATO summit on Thursday.

Merkel also said that despite loss of trust in Russia, NATO would continue to follow a dual strategy of both deterrence and dialogue toward Russia.

The chancellor pointed out that NATO is facing other conflicts and that “in a turbulent world” the alliance needs to deal with the consequences of the civil war in Syria, the instability in Iraq and conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa. She also mentioned the refugee crisis, the extremist Islamic State group and cybercrime as threats the alliance needs to tackle.