By Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to forcefully defend Ukraine towards Russia’s invasion on the NATO summit in Washington on Tuesday, utilizing the worldwide stage to attempt to present allies at residence and overseas that he can nonetheless lead.
Biden, 81, has endured 12 days of withering questions on his health for workplace as a few of his fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill and marketing campaign donors worry that he’ll lose the Nov. 5 election after a halting debate efficiency on June 27.
“(Vladimir) Putin wants nothing less, nothing less, than Ukraine’s total subjugation … and to wipe Ukraine off the map,” Biden mentioned in his welcome to NATO member states to the summit, referring to the Russian president. “Ukraine can and will stop Putin.”
The White Home is hoping he can flip the web page on a troublesome interval in his presidency together with his highest profile coverage speech because the debate, though some diplomats on the summit mentioned the harm was onerous to erase.
On Tuesday, Biden spoke off of a teleprompter with a robust and assured voice and largely averted the verbal flubs and indicators of confusion that marked his debate efficiency.
Biden was framed by the gilded partitions of the federal corridor the place the treaty creating NATO was signed, his speech bookended by stirring musical performances by the U.S. Marine Corp band.
“Today NATO is stronger than it’s ever been in its history,” he mentioned.
Biden has rebuffed calls to step apart in his race towards Republican Donald Trump, 78, vowing to beat him in November. Thus far, he has maintained the general public help of most of his social gathering’s elite.
The U.S. president has made restoring conventional alliances overseas the centerpiece of his international coverage after Trump challenged allies as a part of an “America First” method. The election winner in November might have a considerable affect on the way forward for NATO, Europe and the remainder of the world.
“We don’t see how he can come back after the debate,” mentioned one European diplomat, who dismissed Tuesday’s speech as proof of Biden’s endurance as a result of it was scripted. “I can’t imagine him being at helm of the U.S. and NATO for four more years.”
Trump has instructed that, given a second time period, he wouldn’t defend NATO members in the event that they got here underneath navy assault and didn’t meet the alliance’s protection spending goal of two% of their annual GDP. He has additionally questioned the quantity of assist given to Ukraine in its battle towards Russia’s invasion.
Biden closed his remarks by shocking NATO Secretary-Common Jens Stoltenberg with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, clasping the very best U.S. civilian award across the Norwegian politician’s neck and crediting him with reviving the 32-member alliance.
UKRAINE FIGHTS FOR MORE
The centerpiece of the NATO summit is ready to be new commitments of navy and humanitarian assist to Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned the summit would “further strengthen” the war-torn nation’s path to NATO membership.
Biden and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Romania issued a joint assertion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying the supply of 5 further Patriot and different strategic air protection methods to guard Ukrainian cities, civilians and troopers.
They mentioned further strategic air protection methods can be introduced this yr.
Zelenskiy, who arrived in Washington on Tuesday and is because of meet with Biden on Thursday, has mentioned Ukraine wants a minimal of seven Patriot methods, a aim met by the contemporary deliveries introduced on Tuesday.
“We are fighting for additional security guarantees for Ukraine – and these are weapons and finances, political support,” he mentioned on social media.
Ukraine finally desires to affix NATO to ward towards additional future assaults by Russia however candidates should be accredited by all the alliance’s members, a few of that are cautious of frightening a direct battle with Russia.
Some members need the alliance to clarify Ukraine is shifting towards NATO “irreversibly” and are eager for language in a summit assertion past the alliance’s pledge final yr that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO.”
BIDEN’S STAYING POWER?
NATO, celebrating its seventy fifth anniversary, has discovered new goal in opposing Putin’s Ukraine invasion and the grinding warfare will dominate personal conversations between the leaders of the international locations.
These leaders, already anxious concerning the prospect of Trump’s return, got here to Washington with contemporary concern about Biden’s endurance, in line with diplomats from their international locations.
Biden will maintain a uncommon solo press convention on Thursday, additionally geared toward quieting considerations.
As Biden tried to rally allies and home help, a number of high-ranking European officers met with a prime international coverage adviser to Trump in the course of the summit.
NATO leaders face political uncertainty in Europe, with paralysis looming in France after positive factors for left and much proper events and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition weakened after a poor displaying in European Parliament elections.
A U.S. intelligence official mentioned on Tuesday mentioned that Russia prefers that Trump win the upcoming election.
New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned as he headed to his first NATO summit that he would fulfill a marketing campaign dedication to extend UK protection spending to 2.5% of GDP however underlined he would solely accomplish that when the nation might afford it and after a overview of protection technique.
A senior NATO official mentioned on Tuesday Russia lacks the munitions and troops to start out a significant offensive in Ukraine and must safe vital ammunition provides from different international locations past what it already has.
However he estimated Russia would have the ability to maintain its warfare financial system for 3 to 4 extra years and in addition mentioned “it will be some time” earlier than Ukraine has amassed the munitions and personnel it must mount its personal large-scale offensive operations.
