US President Joe Biden landed in Europe last night, where he will try to strengthen the unity of the West but also to tighten sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
Biden will embark on a diplomatic marathon as he seeks to show a tough stance against his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, but also to keep his promise to strengthen US alliances after Donald Trump’s four-year presidency.
“In recent months, the West has been united. “The president is going to Europe to reassure her that we remain united” and to “send a strong message that we will be prepared and committed for as long as it takes,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday.
Today, in one day, Biden will attend three international summits in Brussels: NATO, the G7 and the EU.
“New sanctions”
The President of the USA Joe Biden will formally announce new sanctions on Russian politicians and oligarchs at Thursday’s summit, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday.
The US National Security Adviser also said Biden would discuss NATO strategy at its eastern tip and contingency plans for possible Russian use of chemical or nuclear weapons.
Sanctions will also be discussed in the European Union, along with ways dealing with China, which is reportedly considering military assistance to Russia. And in all his discussions, Biden will “consult about possible” issues of possible cyber attacks or the use of chemical or biological weapons. “
Sullivan said US concerns about chemical or nuclear weapons focused primarily on “the deliberate pace of misinformation, propaganda and lies on the subject, which has all the precursors to actually using those weapons.”
Biden will start in NATO by meeting with the Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and will attend the NATO emergency summit for about 3 hours, Sullivan said. Among the priorities is “how we ensure that we continue to support Ukraine and its defense efforts,” Sullivan said, although NATO itself has not facilitated military assistance to Ukraine, but left these decisions to the discretion of members. .
Sullivan also said that NATO leaders would ratify some of the decisions made by the defense ministers last week and instruct their military and political officials to draw up a “long-term plan for what forces and capabilities would be required in those countries.” east wing. “The longer-term plan will be agreed at the NATO summit in Madrid, which was announced in advance.”
The goal, the US official said, “is to have a long-term imprint that matches the new security reality created by both the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and what is happening in Belarus,” Sullivan said.
At a forthcoming G7 meeting, Biden and other leaders will “agree on a co-ordination initiative to impose sanctions”, thwarting Russian efforts. to avoid existing sanctions, Sullivan said.
On Friday and Saturday, Biden will travel to Poland, a NATO member country where most of the millions of Ukrainians who have fled the country have taken refuge.
There he will meet with US troops and Polish President Andrei Duda, as well as with Ukrainian refugees.
The worst is yet to come
After the first shock after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the White House knows that the worst is yet to come: primarily for Ukraine. On Monday, Biden said he believed Russia intended to use chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine.
The American president has already commented that Putin is “with his back to the wall”, while he has described him as a “war criminal” who is adopting more and more “violent” and deadly tactics against civilians.
After all, an ongoing war will be a challenge to the unity that the West has shown so far. Following the imposition of the first sanctions against Russia, Western countries have disagreed on whether additional measures should be imposed on Russia’s energy sector.
There are also difficulties in the military sector. Some countries have already announced significant changes in their strategy and defense, while the US and others have provided equipment to Ukraine. But it is not clear how the West will be able to further support the Ukrainian army?
Biden has ruled out a direct military confrontation with Russia, for example by imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
The other goal of the American president will be to ensure that the West will speak “with one voice” towards China.
Washington has already warned Beijing that it would impose sanctions if it offered military equipment to Russia.
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