President Joe Biden energized NATO allies and restated the United States’ commitment to Ukraine on Wednesday as Russia’s ongoing war on its neighboring country surpassed 500 days.
Biden, who faces reelection next year and has allocated the majority of military aid to Ukraine, described supporting Kyiv’s struggle for democracy as “the calling of our lifetime.”
Over the past 18 months, since Russian troops crossed Ukrainian borders, marking the most significant conflict since World War II in terms of air, land, and sea involvement, the U.S. has provided substantial support to Kyiv, totaling over $41 billion.
“We did what we always do. The U.S. stepped up, NATO stepped up, and our partners in the Indo-Pacific stepped up,” said Biden during his address in Vilnius, Lithuania.
“We will stand firm,” he affirmed, pledging ongoing support to Ukraine “for however long it takes.”
Biden’s address came after a two-day meeting of NATO leaders in the capital of Lithuania, where member countries made security commitments to Ukraine. The arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was met with enthusiasm, as he reiterated the country’s desire to join NATO, emphasizing that Ukraine’s membership would strengthen the world’s most powerful military alliance.
Ukraine has been seeking NATO membership since 2002 and shares borders with four NATO allies: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
In September, Zelenskyy applied for accelerated NATO membership. Since then, he has visited several European capitals to garner support for Kyiv’s bid.
Unfortunately, Zelenskyy’s calls were overshadowed by the announcement during the summit’s first day that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had agreed to support Sweden’s bid to join NATO.
Last May, Sweden and Finland initiated the formal process of applying to NATO, which necessitates approval from all 30 alliance members. Finland became a member in April, and following this summit, Sweden is expected to become the 32nd member of the group.
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