There is great excitement about the NATO summit in Washington DC Even though the starting point is the 75th anniversary of the defense alliance, the most excitement is about Joe Biden and his behavior. – For Biden, this is very important after the disastrous debate he had against Donald Trump. The focus will be on the way Biden behaves. Eirik Løkke, adviser at Civita, says so. After the first debate in the presidential campaign on June 27, several Democrats have expressed concern about the cognitive health of Biden. The leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, held a meeting with several committee leaders on Sunday to discuss Biden. Several thought that Biden should withdraw from the election, according to sources who have spoken to the AP news agency. Can’t afford to make mistakes Løkke says that Biden can’t make many mistakes before it can create a new storm. – If he messes up his words or stumbles, it can be a challenge. Eirik Løkke adviser at Civita Photo: Hanna Johre / news Biden’s behavior tonight could also be the start of a revival for the president, according to Løkke. He will give a carefully pre-written speech, and although it is important, it is how he behaves that will be the focus, according to Løkke. – The way he is with the other heads of state and the situations around them will be followed with a sceptical eye. So there he doesn’t have the opportunity to make many mistakes, before it can become a big deal. Biden himself has appeared on the American TV channel MSNBC, where he says that the NATO summit will be a good opportunity to assess whether he is fit to lead the most powerful state in the world. Ukraine becomes a topic One of the topics to be discussed is the way forward for Ukraine, especially how one should approach the war in the long term. The country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyj is in the US capital to attend the NATO summit. Volodymyr Zelenskyj during a previous NATO summit Photo: Susan Walsh / AP On Monday, the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was exposed to an extensive missile attack, where the most important children’s hospital in the country was hit, among other things. – It will be exciting to see what promises will come to Ukraine, says Løkke. The country has not been given a date for NATO membership. Earlier today it was known that Norway and the arms manufacturer Nammo have entered into a new contract worth over one billion kroner. This will make it possible to pass on Norwegian support to Ukraine, believes Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp). – This makes it possible for us to continue supporting Ukraine with artillery ammunition, in addition to building up the stocks for the Norwegian defence, he said earlier today. The outgoing meeting for the Stoltenberg-NATO summit lasts until Thursday, and this will be the last with Jens Stoltenberg as secretary general of the alliance. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in the USA for the last summit. Photo: Anders Tvegård / news Stoltenberg’s time in NATO has been marked by war in Ukraine, first with the invasion of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, then the full-scale invasion of the country in 2022. – It has been such a big problem to find a replacement that he have constantly had to take on new periods. The member countries were satisfied with their Norwegian leaders, according to the Civita adviser. – The way Stoltenberg has held the NATO alliance together, put it in place and worked for NATO countries to give weapons to Ukraine, has been impressive, says Løkke. The former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will take over as Secretary General on 1 October. Published 09/07/2024, at 22.27 Updated 09.07.2024, at 22.53
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