The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit will begin in Washington on Tuesday with an eye toward strengthening the transatlantic alliance and paving the way for Ukraine’s eventual entry into the bloc. For host President Joe Biden, it represents another opportunity to show he is up to the task.
Heads of state and dignitaries from the more than 30 countries that make up the bloc arrive in the US capital amid possible changes of government in the country after the presidential elections next NovemberThe leaders are expected to finalize a unified plan to support the Ukrainian military in its war against Russia.
During the meeting, which will mark the bloc’s 75th anniversary, military assistance to kyiv is expected to be expanded with new commitments to deliver weapons, ammunition and air defences, among other aid. This would help satisfy repeated requests from Ukrainian leaders to push back Russian forces.
“At the Washington Summit we will once again demonstrate NATO’s unity and strength in support of Ukraine and in keeping all our people and our values safe,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The summit will also address Ukraine’s path to NATO membership. Stoltenberg said in April that the alliance did not expect to offer Ukraine a formal seat in the organization during the Washington summit, but rather aimed to establish a “bridge” to its future integration into the bloc.
Tuesday’s opening day includes a roundtable discussion on women, peace and security hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. On the same day, Stoltenberg will meet with defense industry leaders and officials from NATO member states to discuss how to boost production to ensure military aid continues to flow to Ukraine.
In the evening, President Joe Biden will deliver a speech marking NATO’s 75th anniversary.
With the US elections on the horizon
The leaders of the transatlantic alliance are facing the possibility of a change of government in the US after the presidential elections in November. The return of former Republican President Donald Trump, who is seeking revenge against Democrat Biden, could mean a change in Washington’s support for NATO.
Trump has declared himself a skeptic of the organization and has questioned on more than one occasion the financial support of the US to the bloc.
For Joe Biden, the meeting represents another opportunity to reinforce his image as an international leader and demonstrate that he can handle the demands of the office for the next four years, amid pressure from his own party to drop out of the race after his performance in the first presidential debate against Trump.
The president said his work at the summit would be a good way to judge his ability to do his job. Biden highlighted his work to mobilize NATO members in support of Ukraine as an example of his strong leadership and one of the reasons he deserves to stay in the White House.
“Our allies are looking to the United States for leadership,” he said in an interview with MSNBC on Monday. “Who else do you think can step in here and do this? I expanded NATO. I solidified NATO. I made sure that we’re in a position where we have a coalition of … nations around the world to deal with China, to deal with Russia, to deal with everything that’s going on in the world. We’re making real progress.”
[Con información de Reuters y The Associated Press]
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