Joe Biden: "Russia has tried to weaken us, but the opposite has happened"
If the NATO Summit in Madrid has been characterised by anything, it is the unity of all its members. This was emphasised by the President of the United States, Joe Biden, who gave a press conference to journalists that was not originally scheduled.
In his meeting with journalists, Biden praised the commitment and cooperation of all the countries that make up the Alliance, making clear the unanimous position of condemnation of Russia and support for Ukraine, as well as for its president, Volodymir Zelensky.
In doing so, the US President was highly critical of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and made it clear that NATO "will support Ukraine to the end". He also stated that Russia's initial aim was to weaken the West, something that has turned against Moscow, since, in Biden's words, "they tried to weaken us, but the opposite has happened".
The situation has turned completely against the Kremlin's interests. There is a war on European soil and it is Russia that has wanted to show muscle to both Ukraine and the Alliance countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was intended to show that Russia is not a "regional power", a term coined by former US President Barack Obama.
Far from being daunted, however, NATO has re-emerged with remarkable strength. The increase in defence budgets to bring member states up to two per cent of GDP as soon as possible, coupled with the strengthening of the values for which the Alliance stands, has left behind a clear message: NATO will not back down from defending its security and values.
In this context, just a few months ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a historic budgetary measure, declaring that Germany will spend 100 billion euros to modernise its military, something that, had it not been for Russia's offensives, might not have been enacted.
"We will be stronger than ever," said Biden, "America is leading change. On the other hand, the US leader alluded to the entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lifted his veto on their membership. This situation means that from the 30 members that currently make up the Atlantic Alliance, there are now 32, which means that, in the words of the President, "NATO is changing the world".
He also referred to article 5 of the Washington Treaty, describing it as "sacred". Biden emphasised the mutual commitment and that NATO will protect every corner of its member countries, as "we are all one".
The US president also focused on the Asia-Pacific region, pointing to China as a country that does not respect Western values and that goes "hand in hand with Russia". Indeed, China's entry, for the first time, in the Strategic Concept as "a threat" makes it clear that the world is still in a Cold War.
Multipolarity may be part of this new geopolitics, but the Summit has revealed the deep divide between the two blocs. The United States and Russia remain deeply divided, even more so with the Russian invasion. The fact that Russia is now in the midst of one of its most serious international crises is a power situation for NATO, even more so after the Kremlin launched a war.
China, for its part, has for several years now entered the international arena as a power that threatens to expand, using other methods such as building infrastructure and strengthening trade ties. In this respect, Africa is seeing how China is gaining strength on the continent through these two sectors. If we add this to the Wagner group's increased presence in countries such as Mali and Algeria, it is clear that Russian and Chinese influence has grown rather than diminished.
However, according to Biden, "NATO will confront China's challenges and continue to condemn Russia's actions. In any situation, NATO has so far shown itself to be a bloc that responds with "unity". This is the goal of the United States, but also of Western countries that, far from wanting to reduce defence policies, have shown themselves to be more than willing to continue to commit to cooperation and joint security under the motto "if they attack one of us, they attack us all".
Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra
