Expert: "Joe Biden's diplomatic tour of Europe argues that NATO wants cohesion between Europe and the US
US President Joe Biden's diplomatic tour to Europe from 9-13 July argues that NATO wants cohesion between Europe and the US, says Bucharest-based political commentator Laurențiu Pleșca. In his opinion, the presence of the White House leader at the North Atlantic Alliance Summit in Vilnius sends a clear message of Washington's support for NATO's Eastern flank.
Laurențiu Pleșca told Radio Moldova that US President Joe Biden chose the UK as his first destination because London is a promoter of support for Ukraine. In meetings with King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak the US leader could discuss further support for Ukraine. And after the Vilnius summit on 13 July, he will travel to Finland, which became a NATO member this year, for meetings with leaders of Nordic countries, including aspiring North Atlantic Alliance member Sweden.
"I think that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has continued Boris Johnson's policy of giving as much military support as possible to Ukraine, and on the other side, if we are talking about Finland, Finland will participate for the first time in a NATO summit, because it has just joined the North Atlantic Alliance, and naturally it will also meet with representatives of Sweden, because Sweden is also waiting to join NATO. This visit is very important because it sends a clear signal of attention to the Eastern flank. We also remember his last visit to Europe, which took place in Warsaw in February, and Joe Biden also paid particular attention to the Republic of Moldova, for example, where he praised its citizens for wanting to join the European Union and for being on the right track. ", said Laurențiu Pleșca.
This will be Joe Biden's first visit to the UK since the coronation of the new King, and he will become the first American President since Harry Truman to meet a British monarch other than Queen Elizabeth II, who died last year after a seven-decade reign.
As for the bilateral political relationship, the US leader will hold talks with the British prime minister a month after welcoming him to Washington. The two leaders then signed the 'Atlantic Declaration' for a 21st century US-UK economic partnership.
In Vilnius, Joe Biden will join 30 other Euro-Atlantic heads of state and government at the 74th NATO summit, before hosting next year's 75th anniversary summit in Washington.
The summit in Lithuania will focus on the adoption of an assistance package for Ukraine, strengthening NATO's Eastern flank defences and launching a NATO-Ukraine Council.
