According to the president, NATO member states bordering with Russia are being reinforced to make it "clear that that line is one that cannot be crossed because we would have to take military action to protect our allies" following Crimea`s reunification with Russia.
Obama stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not been "stopped" due to the size of Russian military and the fact that Ukraine does not have a NATO membership, hence there are limits to what the US can do in a military manner.
Relations between NATO and Russia have been tense since early 2014, as the bloc accused Moscow of interfering in the Ukrainian conflict. Moscow has firmly denied the claims, expressing concern over the alliance`s military expansion near Russian borders.
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