In his speech in Warsaw, US President Joe Biden warned the Russian president of aggression against NATO countries.
"Don't even think about stepping on an inch of NATO’s territory" - he said, adding that the United States is committed to the collective defense obligations outlined in the NATO Charter, "with the full strength of our collective power."
At the same time, President Biden noted that Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, does not require direct US intervention.
"American forces in Europe are not to come into conflict with the Russian military, they are here to defend NATO allies," he stated.
President Biden also dismissed Russian allegations of NATO's aggressive intentions toward Russia.
"The criminal wants to portray NATO enlargement as an imperial project aimed at destabilizing Russia. There is nothing further from the truth. NATO is a defense alliance. It never aimed at destroying Russia," he assured.
Earlier, during a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Joe Biden said the United States saw its duty to protect its NATO allies as a "sacred duty."