U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts were set Thursday to hold talks with Asia-Pacific leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky amid concerns about growing support from China and North Korea for the Russian invasion. Later, all eyes will be on Biden as he closes out the summit of 32 NATO leaders in Washington with a news conference. It will provide a fresh chance for him to prove to the American public that he’s capable of serving another four years after his shocking debate flop threw the future of his presidency into doubt.
Quick Read
- NATO leaders are meeting with Asia-Pacific partners and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky amid concerns about China and North Korea’s support for Russia’s invasion.
- U.S. President Joe Biden will close the NATO summit with a news conference, an opportunity to reassure the American public about his ability to serve another term after a recent debate performance raised doubts.
- On Wednesday, NATO labeled China a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, leading to China’s accusation that NATO seeks security at the expense of others.
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized the global nature of security, citing the war in Ukraine, during his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
- European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell highlighted the importance of involving all partners in ensuring stability, especially as China strengthens ties with Russia and North Korea supplies materials to Russia.
- Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea are participating in the summit.
- Ukrainian President Zelensky will join NATO leaders for a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, established for equal-footing discussions between the 32 allies and Kyiv.
- NATO leaders assured Ukraine it is on an “irreversible path” to membership but can only join after the war and meeting all conditions.
- A missile attack on Ukraine’s biggest children’s hospital during the summit highlighted the ongoing conflict and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s resistance to peace.
- NATO allies promised continued military support and launched a new program to coordinate military equipment deliveries and training for Ukraine.
- NATO members committed to maintaining current levels of military aid, around 40 billion euros ($43.5 billion) annually, for at least another year.
The Associated Press has the story:
NATO leaders meet with Asia-Pacific partners as tensions mount with China
Newslooks- (AP)
U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts were set Thursday to hold talks with Asia-Pacific leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky amid concerns about growing support from China and North Korea for the Russian invasion. Later, all eyes will be on Biden as he closes out the summit of 32 NATO leaders in Washington with a news conference. It will provide a fresh chance for him to prove to the American public that he’s capable of serving another four years after his shocking debate flop threw the future of his presidency into doubt.
The flurry of final events at the NATO summit come a day after NATO labeled China a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine. China in turn accused NATO of seeking security at the expense of others and it has warned the military alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to Asia.
“We appreciate the close partnership with your country, and not least because our security is not regional, it is global,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said as he welcomed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for the last day of the alliance’s summit in Washington. “This is clearly illustrated by the war in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg added.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is also taking part in the talks, said it was important to draw all partners into a conversation on how to ensure stability, notably as China strengthens its ties with Russia, but also in the Asia-Pacific region.
“China is supporting a Russia in the name of this unlimited friendship. (North) Korea is one of the most important suppliers of raw material to Russia,” he told reporters. He noted that maritime border tensions “in the Indo-Pacific puts a threat to the stability of the whole region.”
Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea are notably taking part in the summit. Zelenskky will join allied leaders later for a NATO-Ukraine Council, a forum set up a year ago for the 32 allies and Kyiv to meet on an equal footing to share concerns and information.
On Wednesday, NATO leaders promised Ukraine that it is on an “irreversible path” to membership, although it can only join sometime after the war, when the allies agree that it has met all the conditions. A missile attack on Ukraine’s biggest children’s hospital on the eve of the summit in Washington, to mark NATO’s 75th anniversary, underscored that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be ready to make peace for some time.
Many allies also offered more military support, and NATO launched a new program to underwrite deliveries of military equipment and coordinate training for Ukraine’s beleaguered armed forces. NATO members also committed to keep up current levels of military aid — about 40 billion euros ($43.5 billion) annually — for at least a year.
