Biden travels to Europe to consolidate alliance against Russia
The US president is seeking to strengthen the Western alliance against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine
While U.S. officials see a broad consensus to maintain pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine in the short term, they see Biden’s trip as an opportunity to align strategies, both toward the conflict and its global ramifications heading into the winter and beyond.
The allies differ on whether the goals are merely to restore peace or force Russia to pay a deeper price for the conflict in order to prevent it from recurring.
“Every country speaks for itself, every country has concerns about what they’re willing to do or not do,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take the floor by video to the attendees of both summits.
The United States and its allies sent the country billions of dollars in aid, in addition to imposing tougher sanctions on Russia for the invasion.
U.S. President Joe Biden began a five-day trip to Europe on Saturday, seeking to strengthen the Western alliance against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, as the four-month war shows no signs of ending and as its aftermath on global food and fuel supplies deepens.
Biden will first participate in a Group of Seven meeting in the Bavarian Alps in Germany. He will then travel to Madrid for a summit with the leaders of the 30 NATO countries.
