Ahead of the summit, protests against NATO have been held in several European countries, while experts criticised the alliance’s expansion and its impacts…reports Asian Lite News
Leaders of the NATO gathered here for a two-day summit that seeks to address “the most pressing challenges” facing the alliance amid protests and growing criticism.
Strengthening defence and bridging differences on the Ukraine war are on top of the summit’s agenda. The alliance aims to adopt three regional defence plans backed by 300,000 troops on high readiness.
NATO also wants its member states to agree on “a more ambitious” defence investment pledge to spend a minimum of two per cent of their GDP annually on defence. After “nine consecutive years of increased defence spending” since 2014, only 11 of the alliance’s 31 members have reached or exceeded this target.
The inaugural meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council will be held with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in attendance. NATO members are still divided on how to put Ukraine on a path to membership.
Ahead of the summit, protests against NATO have been held in several European countries, while politicians and experts criticised the alliance’s expansion and its impacts.
Pointing out that the summit will see “calls for further escalation” of the Ukraine war, the “Stop the War coalition” organised a day of protests across Britain on Saturday, calling for peace. In Paris, a march against the military alliance drew hundreds of people, with many calling for France to withdraw from NATO.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova predicted the summit would be “a colourful spectacle in the worst traditions of Western manipulation,” according to the RIA news agency.
“NATO is not a defence alliance; it is an alliance that wages illegal wars,” Sevim Dagdelen, a member of the German Left Party, told Xinhua, accusing NATO of fighting a proxy war against Russia by supplying military aid to Ukraine.
Erdogan meets Biden
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday met his US counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius.
Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye in a tweet stated, “President @RTErdogan met with President Joe Biden of the U.S. on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius.” Before the bilateral meeting, Biden stated that they are at the “historic summit.” He said that Erdogan made the summit more historic by agreeing to back Sweden’s NATO bid. He thanked Erdogan for his diplomacy and courage.
According to the statement released by the White House, Biden said, “Mr President, it’s good to see you again — delighted to be with you. And, you know, we’re at this historic summit meeting. We’re resolving a lot of things, I hope.”
He further said, “You made all the more historic by the agreement you reached yesterday in the admission of Sweden and how you’re going to proceed. I want to thank you for your diplomacy and your courage to take that on. And I want to thank you for your leadership, Mr. President.”
In his remarks, Biden said, “This summit is reaffirming our commitment to NATO defence with close Allies in NATO, and I hope we can make it even stronger.”
Meanwhile, Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Biden for congratulating him on his re-election as Turkey’s President. He noted that Biden is preparing for the forthcoming elections in the US and wished him good luck.
“And within the framework of our strategic mechanism, I think it’s high time for the heads of states to get together for further consultations. That’s why I believe today’s meeting with you within the margin of the NATO Summit is the first step forward,” Erdogan said, according to the statement released by the White House.
“Our meetings prior to this were mere warmups, but now we are initiating a new process. This new process is a process of five years,” he added.
US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) welcomed his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s commitment to transmit the accession protocol for Sweden to Turkey’s Grand National Assembly for swift ratification.
Biden expressed readiness to work with Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defence and deterrence. He stated that he looked forward to welcoming Sweden as US’ 32nd North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally. He thanked NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for his “steadfast leadership.”
Biden’s statement comes after NATO Secretary General announced that Turkey has agreed to support Sweden’s bid to become a member of the military alliance. He made the announcement after his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Stoltenberg said, “I am glad to announce that, as a result, President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly as soon as possible. And work closely with the Assembly to ensure ratification.”
The decision on Sweden’s NATO bid comes after months of opposition and demands from Turkey. Turkey had said that Sweden allows members of Kurdish terror groups to operate in the country, CNN reported.
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