President Barack Obama will travel to Estonia in September as part of United States efforts to reaffirm security commitments to Baltic nations following Russia's threatening moves in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
The White House says Obama will visit the capital of Tallinn before heading to Wales for a NATO summit, Reuters reported.
The NATO meeting is expected to focus in part on the alliance's posture in member nations closest to Russia's border, according to Reuters. Article V requires NATO states to come to each other's defense when called.
The White House says in addition to his meetings with Estonian officials, Obama will also meet with the presidents of Latvia and Lithuania, Reuters reported.
"In light of recent developments in Ukraine, the United States has taken steps to reassure allies in Central and Eastern Europe, and this trip is a chance to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to Article V as the foundation of NATO," the White House said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Obama's stop in Estonia before attending the NATO summit is meant to give a signal to the Baltic states as well as Russia that the United States remains active in the region even as Moscow intervenes in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
The leaders also took part in meetings with Obama in Poland earlier this year when he convened talks with representatives from Central and Eastern Europe, according to Reuters. Russia's provocations in Ukraine have put some nations in the region on edge about their security.
