Ukraine tops NATO agenda for 75th anniversary summit
More than three dozen world leaders expected in Washington
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) -With questions swirling about his stamina and his mental acuity, President Biden this week hosts his NATO counterparts for a consequential three-day summit.
Ahead of the NATO Summit, on June 17, President Joe Biden with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg by his side during an Oval Office meeting, touting his leadership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during his 3-and-a-half years in office.
“Together, we deterred further Russian aggression in Europe. I think we, well, I know we’ve welcomed Finland and Sweden to the Alliance. And we’ve strengthened NATO’s eastern flank, making it clear that we’ll defend every single inch of NATO territory.”
The three day summit marks NATO’s 75th anniversary. It’s also an opportunity for the President to quell growing concerns about his physical and mental abilities after a disastrous performance in the first presidential debate.
And it’s an opportunity for NATO leaders to show strong support and commitment to Ukraine. The Eastern European nation is still trying to defend its borders from Russia’s invasion.
“I think it’s important to understand that the stronger our support for Ukraine is, the sooner this war can end, because the sooner President Putin will realize that he cannot wait us out.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy scheduled to attend the summit, during which NATO will reaffirm that Ukraine’s future is in NATO.
A senior White House official also confirms that Ukraine will get what he called “good news” in its quest for more Patriot air defense systems.
Separately, NATO countries are increasingly meeting their financial obligations. When the Biden administration took office, only 9 NATO members were spending at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense.
Now , a record 23 NATO Allies are at - or above - the minimum level of 2 percent of GDP for defense spending.
Sweden is the newest member of most recent addition to the 32-nation defense alliance.
Swedish Ambassador to the United States Urban Ahlin says their membership helps NATO with its place in the world.
“This is a strong message in itself to Putin. But for the NATO summit, I really think it’s important that we show a message that we are stronger than ever. We are more united than ever, and we are bigger than ever.”
The White House views this summit as an excellent opportunity for the President to showcase his leadership on the world stage. For three days, the President can demonstrate his stamina at a time when there are growing concerns about his health, his age and his ability to do the job for another 4 years.
At the White House, I’m Jon Decker.
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