As he spoke about Poland’s history and its role in defending what he claimed was a threat to Western civilisation, he repeatedly stopped to acknowledge cheers from the crowd. Here was the US President telling them how wonderful they were, and finally confirming America’s commitment to Nato’s Article Five, that part of its constitution that binds its 29 members to the notion of mutual defence. “To those who would criticise our tough stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated - not merely with its words but with its actions - that we stand firmly behind Article Five, the mutual defence commitment,” he said.
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