U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reassured NATO on Wednesday that the administration of President Joe Biden would strengthen its support for Ukraine and the alliance during the remainder of its term. Mr. Blinken made these promises during a visit to NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, where he met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Mr. Blinken stated that President Biden is committed to ensuring the U.S. sends all designated aid to Ukraine by January 20, referencing the inauguration date of President-elect Donald Trump.
“The aim of this visit is to focus our efforts on ensuring that Ukraine has the funding, ammunition, and mobilized forces to fight effectively in 2025, or to be in a position to negotiate for peace from a position of strength,” he said.
Mr. Blinken also emphasized the administration’s commitment until the last day of its term to strengthen the alliance.
“President Biden will use every day to continue doing what we’ve done over the last four years, which is strengthening this alliance that is so critical to the security of the United States and the security of countries across Europe,” he said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that instabilities in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific are increasingly interconnected.
“We have known for some time that China, through sanctions evasion, through dual-use goods sent to Russia, is helping the war efforts. And certainly, Iran is doing the same with drone technology and sending them to Russia. Russia is paying for this, and it helps Iran continue efforts to destabilize the Middle East, and even beyond the Middle East,” he said.
Mr. Blinken explained that for this reason, alliances are important.
“We are seeing more and more how security in these different theaters— the Euro-Atlantic theater, the Indo-Pacific theater, the Middle East— is connected. And it is critical that we find ways to cooperate ever more closely together. NATO has strengthened its relationships with Indo-Pacific partners in recent years, and we will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months.”
The victory of President-elect Donald Trump has raised concerns about the continuity of U.S. engagement with its partners.
Mr. Trump has at times been critical of the alliance and support for Ukraine and Taiwan— two democracies under threat that rely on U.S. military support to counter Russia and China.
Mr. Trump has shown little interest in the U.S. role as the pillar of strategic alliances with European and Indo-Pacific democracies. /VOA
