Biden reaffirms US commitment to NATO despite “extreme elements” of his domestic policy

A commitment tied to US domestic policy. The head of the White House, Joe Biden, affirmed this Thursday that his country will maintain its obligations with NATO despite some contrary positions that are generated from his country.

The statements were made in the middle of a meeting with his Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto, in the context of his trip to Finland, the new incorporation of the Atlantic Alliance. “I absolutely guarantee it,” Biden said decisively. “No one can guarantee the future, but this is the best bet anyone could make,” he stressed.

As reported by the Reuters agency, the ghost of the reliability of this type of promise by Washington still haunts the old continent after the Presidency of Donald Trump (2016-2020). This showed several disagreements with the leaders of the Alliance for the budget to allocate for it. He even threatened to reduce the presence of soldiers in Germany.

“Despite the fact that there are some extreme elements of one party,” allegedly alluding to the Republican Party, “I am saying as confident as anything that can be said about American foreign policy, we will stay connected with NATO.”, he concluded.

In other statements, the president addressed the issue of Ukraine’s incorporation into the North Atlantic Treaty. “It’s not about whether or not they should join, it’s about when they can join. And they will join NATO”, he argued. However, he stressed that kyiv cannot unite in the middle of a war.

In this sense, he stressed that there was no possibility that Russia would be proclaimed the winner in this conflict. Putin “has already lost the war”, sentenced.

The “priority target” on the battlefield, according to Putin

For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out on his country’s state television that the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine will not change the situation. The continuity in the supply of weapons was one of the agreements of the most recent NATO summit.

Foreign-made tanks delivered to kyiv are, according to Putin, a “priority target for our guys.” “The supply of new weapons will only aggravate the situation and further fuel the conflict,” the Kremlin chief said.

When asked about France’s decision to supply long-range cruise missiles, Vladimir Putin maintained that they can cause damage, but that “nothing critical will happen with their use in the war zone.” The projectiles that Paris will deliver can reach a distance of 250 km.

Referring to claims of a future kyiv membership, Putin stressed that this step would increase global tension and threaten Russia’s security. “This will not increase Ukraine’s self-confidence. And in general, it will make the world much more vulnerable.”, he highlighted. Western aid to Ukraine, in terms of arms delivery, is valued at billions of dollars according to Reuters.

Uncertain future for Black Sea grain deal

In another moment of his appearance on state television, the President of the Russian Federation referred to the grain deal. Putin stated that if the demands put on the table by Moscow are not met, they will withdraw from the pact. The alleged non-compliance of the counterparty is a complaint that Russia has been outlining since the signing of the commitment.

“We can suspend our participation in the agreement, and if everyone says once again that they will keep all the promises they made to us, then let them keep this promise. We will immediately join this agreement“, said. Vladimir Putin also stressed that the United Nations Organization had not been able to find a solution to his claims.

According to the Reuters agency, a Kremlin official later pointed out that Russia had not made any decision regarding whether or not to abandon the agreement. The specific aspect that Moscow mentions for non-compliance refers to the export of its fertilizers and food to the international market.

In this framework, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, urged the Russian president to extend the Black Sea grain pact. According to her Von der Leyen, failure to do so would result in a situation of food insecurity worldwide and Russia would be unilaterally responsible.

situation on the ground

Meanwhile, the US Pentagon gave an update on some issues on the ground. The US military leadership announced that, after the military insurrection that it led, the Wagner mercenary group does not have a significant role in the field.

A spokesman for the US high command said that “At this stage, we don’t see Wagner’s forces participating in any meaningful way in support of combat operations in Ukraine.”. It should be remembered that Wagner’s mercenaries participated in several of the fiercest combats such as the one experienced in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

On the other hand, a senior military official of the United States affirmed that Ukraine already has the cluster munitions promised by Washington. These types of weapons, prohibited by international consensus, were promised by the White House to kyiv as part of a new aid package valued at 800 million dollars.

These types of actions, instead of deterring, make Russia intensify its attacks. During this week there has been no truce on the part of Moscow, according to Reuters. This Thursday, three people died as a result of Russian bombing in Ukrainian territory and four were injured in kyiv, the capital. News agencies report that at least 20 invading drones and two Kalibr missiles were shot down in the vicinity of the central city.

The deceased were between the ages of 40 and 85 years old. Several residential buildings were damaged in the Mykolaiv region in the south of the country. There a missile and several drones were also reported shot down, according to President Zelenski’s office.

with Reuters