Joe Biden pledged Washington's support for its NATO allies to face China and Russia
June 14, 2021, 11:41 am

Joe Biden

At his first NATO summit, US President Joe Biden on Monday pledged Washington's support for its NATO allies in the face of "new challenges" posed by Russia and China. Joe Biden

According to DW, Biden said "i think that there is a growing recognition over the last couple of years that we have new challenges. And we have Russia that is not acting in a way that is consistent with what we had hoped, as well as China."

Biden described US responsibility to defend its NATO allies as a "sacred obligation.", adding "I just want all of Europe to know that the United States is there. The United States is there."

DW reported that NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the meeting came "at a pivotal moment for our alliance, and today we'll open a new chapter in our trans-Atlantic relationship."

Stoltenberg told reporters that a final NATO summit statement will cement a new strategy toward China.

"We're not entering a new Cold War and China is not our adversary, not our enemy, but we need to address together, as the alliance, the challenges that the rise of China poses to our security," Stoltenberg said.

Russia, climate change and the US-led military withdrawal from Afghanistan are also high on the agenda, among other topics. Joe Biden

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Source: DW

Image Source: Reuters-DW

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.