United States Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken face a difficult task at the Munich Security Conference, which begins on Friday (16): assuring allies that the country remains committed to defending your security.
Harris and Blinken will attend the annual security summit less than a week after former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, said he will not defend NATO allies that do not spend enough on defense.
US President Joe Biden and Trump are in a tight race heading into the November elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this week.
Biden has opted not to attend the annual conference in recent years, but Harris on Friday will deliver what aides billed as a major speech on “the importance of fulfilling the U.S. global leadership role” before meeting with U.S. lawmakers , Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Harris is likely to be evaluated on her leadership abilities after a report from a Justice Department special counsel released last week described Biden, 81, as an elderly man with a “poor memory.” Trump is 77 years old.
The conference comes at a time when conflict between Russia and the West has brought war to a continent that has spent decades trying to forge peace, underpinned by US security commitments to NATO, which Trump has threatened to abandon.
The Senate on Tuesday approved a $95.34 billion military aid package for Ukraine and other countries, but the funding may never be put to a vote in the Republican-majority Chamber of Deputies due to opposition. of Trump.
Trump made a reference during a rally in South Carolina on Saturday about what he called “defaulted” payments by NATO members and recounted what he said was an earlier conversation with the head of “a great country” about a possible attack from Russia.
“No, I wouldn’t protect them. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever they want. You will have to pay,” Trump told the unidentified leader.
The NATO treaty contains a provision that guarantees the mutual defense of member states if one of them is attacked.
Biden condemned Trump's comments as an invitation for Putin to invade allies and said they highlighted the urgent need for funding for Ukraine.
Source: CNN Brasil
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