Have no doubt: Vladimir Putin is not America’s ally. Neither is he a trustworthy international partner….

Under Putin, Russia’s record of militarism, wars, threats, broken treaties and false promises have made Europe a more dangerous place. Putin does not seek American greatness. As your allies, we do. When America called on us in the past, we came. We were with you in Iraq. We were with you in Afghanistan. We took risks together; sacrificed sons and daughters together….

A deal with Putin will not bring peace. On the contrary, it makes war more likely. Putin views concessions as a sign of weakness. He will be inclined to test American credibility in frontline NATO allies, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland….

As your treaty-bound allies, we appeal to Americans in the new U.S. Administration and Congress to stand firm in the defense of our common goals and interests: peace, Atlantic strength, and freedom. United, we are more than a match for Russia’s ailing kleptocracy. Divided, as we have seen all too clearly in recent years, we are all at risk. For decades, our unified Alliance has been the bulwark of European security. We appeal to our American friends to strengthen, not weaken our transatlantic ties. Ukraine needs support; the frontline states need your constancy and resolve. And most of all, Russia must see that when we are attacked, we grow stronger, not weaker.

Sincerely,
Traian Băsescu
Paweł Kowal
Carl Bildt
Janusz Onyszkiewicz
Mikuláš Dzurinda
Rosen Plevneliev
Mátyás Eörsi
Karel Schwarzenberg
Iulian Fota
Radosław Sikorski
István Gyarmati
Petras Vaitiekūnas
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
Rasa Juknevičienė
Alexandr Vondra
Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš

Excerpts from “Letter to President-elect Donald J. Trump from America’s Allies,” January 9, 2017.

Image: Donald Trump, Oct. 4, 2916 (photo: Gage Skidmore)