US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts were expected to hold talks on Thursday with Asia-Pacific leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky amid concerns about growing support from China and North Korea to the Russian invasion.
I Afterwards, all eyes will be on Biden by closing the summit of 32 NATO leaders in Washington with a press conference. This will provide a new chance for him to prove to the American public that he is capable of serving four more years of service after his term. shocking debate failure put the future of his presidency in doubt.
Final flurry of events at NATO summit comes one day later NATO labeled China a “decisive facilitator” of Russia’s war against Ukraine. China, in turn, accused NATO of seeking security at the expense of others and warned the military alliance not to bring the same “chaos” to Asia.
“We appreciate the close partnership with your country, and because our security is not regional, it is global,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, welcoming South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol , on the last day of the alliance 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 about how to ensure stability, particularly as China strengthens its ties with Russia, but also in Asia-Pacific. region.
“China supports Russia in the name of this unlimited friendship. (North) Korea is one of the most important suppliers of raw materials to Russia,” he told reporters. He noted that maritime border tensions “in the Indo-Pacific pose a threat to the stability of the entire region.”
Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea are participating in the summit.
Zelenskky will later join allied leaders for a NATO-Ukraine Council, a forum created a year ago for the 32 allies and Kiev to meet on equal footing to share concerns and information.
On Wednesday, NATO leaders promised Ukraine that it is in a “irreversible path” to membership, although it could only join some time after the war, when the allies agreed that it had met all the conditions.
A missile attack at Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital on the eve of the summit in Washington to mark NATO’s 75th anniversary, he stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be ready to make peace for some time.
Many allies have also offered more military support and NATO has launched a new program to underwrite deliveries of military equipment and coordinate training for Ukraine’s beleaguered armed forces. NATO members have also committed to maintaining current levels of military aid – around 40 billion euros ($43.5 billion) annually – for at least one year.
