(VOVworld) – NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and US President Barack Obama on Wednesday agreed that NATO needs to increase its presence in eastern Europe after the annexation of Crimea to Russia. The two leaders reaffirmed their close ties in defense activities.

US President Barack Obama addresses a news conference during a EU-US summit at the European Council in Brussels March 26, 2014. (Photo: Reuters)

At a meeting in Brussels, Rasmussen said joint defense activities between allies are NATO’s essential mission, adding that NATO will work to strengthen these activities. He said some NATO members who are geographically close to Russia like Poland and the Baltic countries, have called on NATO to increase its presence in the region. Rasmussen said that NATO will work to ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and strengthen its defense cooperation with Ukraine, including military modernization.