Alliance summit - Nato celebrates - and still argues
NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary. But at the jubilee summit in Washington, the fitness of the host, US President Joe Biden, is making headlines. The alliance, which has grown to include 32 members, faces serious challenges. In particular, it needs guarantees for continuous military support of Ukraine, even if Donald Trump, the Republican challenger of Biden, wins the presidential election in November.
Meanwhile, at the top of the agenda for the heads of state and government is the fact that China militarily threatens the democratic island of Taiwan and tries to intimidate neighbors in the Indo-Pacific region.
How is Biden faring?
The debate over Biden's health condition is not abating. The 81-year-old is campaigning for the Democrats to return to the White House - even after the controversial TV debate against Trump. Within his own party, many question Biden due to his advanced age, and his poor poll numbers don't help.
The summit should have been an opportunity for Biden to present himself as a strong leader of the West and dispel doubts about his mental and physical fitness. Photos of a nimble performance next to foreign heads of state and their public support could give the Democrat a boost.
But now the summit is more of a test: Every move by the President will be closely scrutinized. The closing press conference on Thursday is eagerly anticipated, where Biden plans to answer questions from journalists.
What would Germany do if the US falls out with Trump as leader?
The German delegation is traveling to Washington with mixed feelings. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) managed to secure a budget for 2025 just before the summit. However, the budget for the Bundeswehr only grows by good 1.2 billion Euros instead of the 6.7 billion Euros Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had registered. Pistorius called it frustrating. The mood could be better.
For Scholz, Pistorius, and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), the question of how much responsibility Germany can and wants to take on in NATO in the future will be a major issue at the summit. With a possible Trump victory and a French President Emmanuel Macron who will have less leeway in his new government, this question will be asked increasingly loudly.
Scholz has not yet distinguished himself as someone who has advanced in NATO. In Scholz's circle, they are very cautious when it comes to the question of a larger German role. "I believe we're doing well by not assigning ourselves roles," it is said.
Are Biden and Scholz blocking Ukraine's way into NATO?
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also affected by American domestic politics. If Trump wins the election, the massive military aid from the US could be a thing of the past. Trump claims he could stop the Russian attack war in 24 hours.
Under a faster NATO membership for Ukraine, Scholz and Biden are opposed, as diplomats from the alliance have heard. Countries like Germany and the US have refused to issue a formal invitation, it was reported. The main reason is the concern that such a step could lead to further escalation of the Ukraine war.
Will Zelensky be satisfied with billions in aid?
NATO countries are willing to promise Ukraine that they will provide military aid in the amount of at least 40 billion Euros within the next year. The promise falls short of what the outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg originally demanded.
Stoltenberg wanted a multi-year commitment to show Putin that he cannot rely on waning engagement from the West. The US, among others, did not want to make long-term commitments.
The alliance also wants to prepare for the possibility of a Trump re-election in November and take on tasks that the US has been handling - especially the international coordination of weapons deliveries and training for the Ukrainian armed forces.
The alliance's hesitation had already irritated the Ukrainians at the Vilnius summit in 2023. Now, Selenskyj could return to Kyiv with a compromise: diplomats see chances that the accession process will be described as "irreversible" or "not to be stopped" in a summit declaration.
The White House made clear before the summit began that they intend to announce "new measures to strengthen Ukraine's air defense." US support for Ukraine is "unwavering," Biden emphasized.
Who is invited, who is there for the first time?
For the first time since its accession, Sweden is participating in a NATO summit. Under the impression of the Russian attack on February 24, 2022, Sweden and also Finland gave up their neutrality.
For NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg, it will be the last regular summit before his departure. He will hand over his office on October 1 to the former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.
For the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, there is a crash course in international diplomacy in Washington. On the sidelines of his first NATO summit, he will meet Biden for a personal conversation, as the White House announced.
- At the 75th anniversary summit of NATO in Washington, the focus is on the US President Joe Biden's fitness, especially given the upcoming presidential election in November.
- The alliance, which includes 32 members, is facing challenges, including the need for guarantees for continuous military support of Ukraine, even if Donald Trump wins the election.
- China is militarily threatening the democratic island of Taiwan and trying to intimidate neighbors in the Indo-Pacific region, making it a top agenda item for the summit.
- The debate over Biden's health condition is not abating, with many within his own party questioning him due to his advanced age and poor poll numbers.
- The summit is a test for Biden, with every move he makes closely scrutinized, particularly during the closing press conference on Thursday.
- Germany, represented by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, is traveling to the summit with mixed feelings.
- The question of how much responsibility Germany can and wants to take on in NATO in the future will be a major issue at the summit, especially in light of a possible Trump victory and French President Emmanuel Macron's reduced leeway.
- Under a faster NATO membership for Ukraine, Scholz and Biden are opposed, with concerns about further escalation of the Ukraine war.
- The alliance is willing to promise Ukraine military aid in the amount of at least 40 billion Euros within the next year, though this falls short of previous demands.
- Sweden is participating in the NATO summit for the first time since its accession, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg set to hand over his office to former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte in October.
