Leaders from 32 countries are gathering in Washington for NATO's 75th anniversary summit, but all eyes are on one: President Biden.
As questions swirl about his mental and physical fitness to run for re-election, Biden will now be put to the test on a global stage.
At stake is not just Biden's presidency but, potentially, the future of the transatlantic alliance that has maintained relative peace across much of the world for more than half a century.
Biden has long prided himself on his ability to deal with world leaders and is likely to use the summit to highlight what some analysts consider his greatest foreign policy achievement: the unity forged among NATO members to support and aid Ukraine in its devastating war against an invading Russia.
Most leaders attending this annual meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are expected to praise Biden and his efforts.
In public, they will not criticize him, but the “Biden question” looms large in the crowded and heavily guarded convention center where they are meeting.
Privately, diplomats say, several foreign officials have expressed concern about Biden’s perceived weaknesses, citing occasional lapses in bilateral meetings or seemingly confusing statements.
For some, the question is practically existential: If Biden loses to Donald Trump, a convicted felon who has harshly criticized NATO, a central transatlantic mutual defense pact that has governed the world order since World War II could be in jeopardy.
Trump has mockingly dismissed the importance of NATO while showing deference and admiration toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Administration officials dismiss any concerns among the mostly European leaders about Biden.
“These leaders know him, they’ve worked with him,” said a senior administration official, briefing reporters ahead of the summit. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said leaders remain confident in Biden.
