As Biden looks to hold together the trans-Atlantic alliance, this week's NATO summit gives the U.S. delegation a chance to increase pressure on allied nations to accelerate the transfer of arms and humanitarian aid to Ukraine before it’s too late
MADRID — President Joe Biden and lawmakers from both parties are bringing an urgent objective to this week’s wartime NATO summit: Keep weapons and money flowing to Ukraine for many more arduous months of its battle with Russia.
As Biden looks to hold together the trans-Atlantic alliance and Kyiv aims to keep Russia’s brutality on the front pages, this week’s summit gives the U.S. delegation a chance to increase pressure on allied nations to accelerate the transfer of arms and humanitarian aid to Ukraine before it’s too late.
Tiny countries with fresh memories of Russian occupation such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have all opened their armories to provide for Ukraine’s defense. Estonia, in particular, has already donated the equivalent of one-third of its annual defense budget this year.
The calculus is different in Washington, where many are trying to balance the moral imperative of supporting Ukraine with the challenge of keeping American voters on board with helping Ukraine despite domestic challenges from inflation to social-issue tensions. Meanwhile, countries on Russia’s border see a grinding war that is likely still in its early stages.