After calling the 32-member collective security alliance “stronger than ever” in a powerful speech on Tuesday, Mr Biden and other NATO leaders now turn to their daunting task.
US President Joe Biden and the leaders of other NATO member nations are preparing to unveil new aid for war-torn Ukraine as they meet for their annual summit in Washington on July 10.
Biden, 81, who faced questions about his fitness for office for 13 days after faltering in a debate on June 27, hopes the international event will help him be surrounded by the ally leaders with whom he spent his three years in office. . Agriculture.
After calling the 32-member collective security alliance “stronger than ever” in a powerful speech on Tuesday, Mr Biden and other NATO leaders now turn to their daunting task.
Top of their agenda is the more than two-year-old confrontation between the West and Russia over Ukraine.
But the summit also gives leaders an opportunity to address other complex security issues, including the war between Israel and Gaza and the deepening ties between Russia, Iran, China and North Korea.
The US election in November could drastically change Washington’s support for Ukraine and NATO. Republican candidate Donald Trump (78) questioned the amount of aid provided to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression, as well as US support for its allies in general.
On the sidelines of the summit, Biden is expected to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the first direct talks since the Labour Party won a landslide election victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule. These countries are key allies across the Atlantic.
Mr. Biden will also host a dinner for NATO heads of state and government, an event that does not normally draw attention but has come into focus given concerns about whether Biden can handle the demands of the next four years of the presidency.
A long war?
A senior NATO official said this week that Russia lacks the weapons and forces needed to launch a major invasion of Ukraine but could sustain its war economy for another three to four years. Ukraine has not yet amassed the ammunition and personnel needed to launch a large-scale offensive operation, the official said.
Hoping to turn the tide of the fierce conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants the alliance to send more weapons and money and offer security guarantees. He will meet Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump ally, at the Capitol on Wednesday.
Mr. Zelensky is attending parts of the NATO summit as a guest, but Ukraine eventually wants to join the group to avoid future attacks by Russia.
That won’t happen anytime soon. Candidates must win the approval of all NATO members, some of which fear provoking a direct conflict with Russia.
NATO members have already announced the delivery of five additional Patriot systems and other strategic air defense systems to assist Ukraine. More assistance is expected to be announced during the summit, which marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the alliance’s founding.
