Obama toasts Nordic nations after Russia-focused summit
O's Baltics-East European NATO policy is directly contrary to Trump's expressed, but perhaps shallow, Buchananism.
President Barack Obama toasted Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland at a star-studded state dinner on Friday, lauding the nations for their global influence on civil rights, humanitarian issues and curbing climate change.
The red carpet glamor followed a White House summit where Obama and the leaders of the five nations presented a united front against Moscow's recent military aggression in Ukraine and the Baltic region.
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The summit was aimed in part at sending a message to a nation not on the guest list: Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and has stepped up its military posture.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is planning its biggest build-up in eastern Europe since the Cold War to try to deter further Russian aggression, and Denmark and Norway said on Friday they would contribute to the "enhanced allied forward presence" with NATO.
"We will be maintaining ongoing dialogue and seek cooperation with Russia, but we also want to make sure that we are prepared and strong, and we want to encourage Russia to keep its military activities in full compliance with international obligations," Obama said after the summit.
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