President Biden is internet hosting the NATO secretary common, Jens Stoltenberg, on the White Home on Tuesday afternoon to debate long-term technique in Ukraine and who will oversee the 31-member army alliance shifting ahead.
The go to comes throughout a essential time for the Western alliance, as Ukraine mounts a counteroffensive to regain territory claimed by Russia and as NATO members put together for a summit subsequent month in Vilnius, Lithuania. The White Home has additionally in current weeks confronted questions over whom Mr. Biden helps as a successor for Mr. Stoltenberg, who has led the alliance since 2014 and is anticipated to step down in September.
“The president believes that whoever is the secretary common of NATO must be a person who the whole alliance can get behind and lead the alliance into the longer term, as a result of there’s a transformative future forward of the alliance,” John Kirby, a spokesman for the Nationwide Safety Council, mentioned on Monday. “At any time when this struggle ends, nonetheless it ends, NATO goes to be completely different.”
Numerous nations are jockeying for their very own officers to succeed Mr. Stoltenberg and Mr. Biden’s opinion brings appreciable weight since america spends greater than another member of the alliance on protection.
Whereas the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was visiting Washington final week, Mr. Biden was requested whether or not it was time for a British official to guide NATO. “That is still to be seen,” he mentioned.
Mr. Biden additionally lately met with Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark and one other potential contender for the place.
The assembly with Mr. Stoltenberg was initially scheduled for Monday, however Mr. Biden needed to postpone it for a day so he might have a root canal.
The assembly additionally comes as some Republican members of Congress debate how — or whether or not — to offer future U.S. support to Kyiv. Mr. Biden has mentioned america is dedicated to aiding Ukraine.
“We’re persevering with to speak to the Ukrainians about a few of their long-term protection wants and what that should appear like,” Mr. Kirby mentioned on Monday, noting that even after the struggle ends, “Ukraine goes to have reputable safety wants with an extended border with Russia.”
