The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will appoint a senior representative in Ukraine's capital to deepen ties with the war-torn country, a senior US official said, as world leaders gather for a NATO summit in Washington, DC.
Speaking at a NATO defense industry event on Tuesday afternoon, White House adviser Jake Sullivan said the representative in kyiv would seek to “deepen Ukraine's institutional relationship with the alliance.”
The post will also “serve as a focal point for NATO engagement with senior Ukrainian officials,” Sullivan said.
The announcement comes as NATO officials and world leaders have traveled to the U.S. capital for the organization's annual summit, which began Tuesday.
Continued support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion of the country is at the top of the agenda, particularly amid a series of recent Russian attacks, including a deadly bombing of a children's hospital in kyiv.
In a social media post after his arrival in Washington, DC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would push for more air defense systems, financial assistance and aircraft, including F-16s.
We are already in Washington. Today the NATO Summit begins.
We are fighting for more air defense systems for Ukraine and I am sure that we will achieve this. We are also striving for more aircraft, including F-16s. In addition, we are pushing for improved security… photo.twitter.com/ydkHQjK6RL
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenski (@ZelenskyyUa) July 9, 2024
“We demand decisive action from the United States and Europe, action that will strengthen our warriors,” Zelenskyy wrote in X.
“We are committed to doing everything possible to ensure the defeat of Russian terrorism. This is not only crucial for our country, it is essential for everyone, for every partner and for all nations.”
Zelensky and US President Joe Biden are scheduled to deliver speeches on Tuesday afternoon at the Ronald Reagan Institute to mark the start of the NATO summit. The two will also hold a meeting on Thursday afternoon, the White House said.
Aides said Biden's opening remarks will highlight what his administration sees as a key achievement: a stronger, more united NATO, under U.S. leadership, with more members and a determination to meet their collective security needs.
This, they say, brings tangible results for American voters: a more secure country, with a stronger international economic position, as well as more alliances and power abroad, and less risk of conflict with its adversaries.
This week’s NATO summit falls at a critical time for Biden, who is facing questions domestically about his health and ability to serve another term in the White House after his disastrous performance in the 2024 election debate last month.
The Democratic president, who is expected to face his Republican predecessor Donald Trump in the November election, has rejected calls to drop out of the race.
Biden administration officials sought to downplay reports that Washington's NATO allies are anxious about the president's stay ahead of the arrival of leaders from NATO's 32 member countries in Washington, DC.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, White House adviser John Kirby said the administration was “not seeing any signals” that any foreign leaders were concerned.
Leaders “would not come… to a NATO summit if they didn’t believe in American leadership and how important it is and if they didn’t believe that President Biden takes that responsibility extremely seriously,” Kirby said.
But as doubts swirl around Biden, the alliance has been nervously watching a possible return of Trump to the White House after the November election.
Trump has repeatedly criticized other NATO members who have failed to meet an agreed target of spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.
European anxiety heightened in February when Trump warned NATO allies in a campaign speech that he would “encourage” the Russians “to do whatever they want” to countries that fail to meet his defense spending targets if he returns to the White House.
Trump and his Republican allies in the US Congress have also criticised Biden for providing an “endless flow of American treasure” to Ukraine.
Speaking at a NATO event Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., White House adviser Sullivan said the Biden administration was “committed” to supporting Ukraine “for the long term.”
Sullivan said NATO will announce later this week a new military command in Germany that will launch a “training, equipping and force development program for Ukrainian troops.”
“We will also make announcements outlining how we plan to strengthen Ukraine's critical air defense capabilities and develop Ukraine's air power through the supply of F-16s,” he said.
The new measures, Sullivan added, are intended to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “you cannot divide us, you cannot outlast us, you cannot undermine us, and Ukraine – not Russia – will prevail in this war.”
The Kremlin said it was following the NATO summit “with the utmost attention,” including “the rhetoric at the talks and the decisions that will be taken and put on paper.”
