Beleaguered Biden welcomes leaders of NATO member states to Washington
Zelenskiy will meet Biden in Washington and will deliver a speech at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington on Tuesday evening. (Photo: Reuters)
US President Joe Biden will welcome heads of state from NATO member states to Washington on Tuesday for an annual summit, a summit that will give the embattled Democrat an international platform to convince allies at home and abroad that he can still lead.
Biden, 81, has vowed to press ahead with his race against Republican Donald Trump, 78, despite concerns from Democrats on Capitol Hill and donors that he will lose the Nov. 5 election after a fraught June 27 debate.
Biden has made rebuilding America’s traditional alliances abroad to counter the threat of autocracies a centerpiece of his foreign policy after Trump challenged allies as part of an “America First” approach. Whoever wins in November could have a substantial impact on the future of NATO and Europe.
Trump has suggested that, in a second term, he would not defend NATO members that failed to meet the alliance’s defense spending target of 2% of their respective GDPs if they came under military attack. He has also questioned the amount of aid given to Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington on Tuesday to attend the NATO summit, saying he would “fight” for strong decisions to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and increase the number of F-16 fighter jets.
“We are fighting for additional security guarantees for Ukraine – and these are weapons, finances and political support,” he said in a video on the Telegram messaging app.
Zelenskiy will meet Biden in Washington and will deliver a speech at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington on Tuesday evening.
Aides said Biden’s opening remarks, expected at 5 p.m. Eastern Time (9 p.m. GMT), will emphasize what his administration sees as a key achievement: a stronger and more united NATO, led by Washington, with more members and a determination to meet their collective security needs.
According to them, this will produce tangible results for American voters: a safer country, with a strong international economic position, more alliances and power abroad and less risk of conflict with opponents.
Trump and many of his Republican allies reject such arguments.
“Republicans of course celebrate the peace and prosperity that NATO has secured and will continue to support our partners as we prevent unnecessary wars,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a top Republican and Trump ally, said Monday. “But we also believe NATO must do more.”
ALLIES CONCERN OVER BIDENS’ CONTINUING POWER NATO, celebrating its 75th anniversary, has found new purpose in opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and has welcomed Finland and Sweden as new members.
The debilitating war between Ukraine and Russia will be the focus of private talks between leaders of NATO’s 32 member states, whose agenda focuses on providing military and financial aid to Ukraine and offering a way for Kiev to eventually join NATO.
But those leaders, already anxious about the prospect of Trump’s return, are coming to Washington with new concerns about Biden’s staying power, according to diplomats from their countries. One described Biden as bruised after a difficult political period and said their administration was looking for signals about whether he would survive.
NATO leaders are grappling with political uncertainty in Europe. In France, paralysis is looming after gains by left-wing and far-right parties. In addition, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition has been weakened by a poor showing in the European Parliament elections.
Events in Washington this week give Biden an opportunity to address these concerns, including in his high-profile speech on Tuesday and a rare solo press conference on Thursday.
Biden will emphasize new support for Ukraine. At the summit, NATO leaders are expected to back an initiative that would see the alliance coordinate arms shipments and training for Ukrainian troops. They could also get more support for air defense.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that the summit would “further strengthen” Ukraine’s ties with NATO and the path to membership. He said he expected it to deliver “a very strong package” for Ukraine.
A senior NATO official told reporters on Tuesday that Russia does not have sufficient ammunition and troops to launch a major offensive in Ukraine and therefore needs to secure significant quantities of ammunition from other countries, in addition to the stockpiles it already has.
However, he estimated that Russia could sustain its war economy for another three to four years and also said that it would “take some time” for Ukraine to amass the munitions and personnel needed to conduct its own large-scale offensive operations.
Ukraine eventually wants to join NATO to protect itself from future attacks from Russia. However, candidates must be approved by all members of the alliance. Some of them fear provoking a direct war with Russia.
US officials have said the summit will provide Ukraine with a “bridge to membership,” including a new NATO effort to coordinate arms transfers and training.
Some members want the alliance to make it clear that Ukraine is moving “irreversibly” toward NATO and are pushing for a summit statement that goes beyond the alliance’s promise last year that “Ukraine’s future lies in NATO.”
First print: 09 Jul 2024 | 23:43 IST