The milestone NATO summit, marking 75 years since its inception, will focus prominently on Ukraine and countering Russian threats, echoing last year's priorities discussed in Vilnius, Lithuania.
A senior White House official briefing ahead of the three-day event (July 9-11) revealed that a key outcome will be the announcement of "historic and far-reaching" measures to support Ukraine.
This includes significant enhancements to Ukraine's air defence capabilities, alongside a long-term package of military, political, and economic support for Kyiv.
These steps, contingent on Ukrainian reforms and NATO confirmation of Ukraine's path to membership, are envisioned as a "bridge" to the Alliance as touted by Washington.
These decisions aim to demonstrate that Vladimir Putin cannot "outlast the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine," the US senior official said during the briefing.
While the final summit communiqué is still being negotiated, US administration officials assured that the document will include robust declarations.
In addition to Ukraine, the summit aims to update NATO's defence plans and to address ensuring NATO members meet the 2 percent GDP defence spending requirement.
A third summit priority is deepening NATO's relationships with Indo-Pacific partners such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The three-day event will feature numerous bilateral meetings and additional events alongside the main sessions.
The summit kicks off Tuesday with a Defence Industries Forum and a welcome reception hosted by President Biden at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium, site of the 1949 Washington Treaty signing.
On Wednesday, Biden will formally welcome Sweden as NATO's newest member and host a dinner for summit leaders.
Thursday's agenda includes meetings with EU and Indo-Pacific partners, the NATO-Ukraine Council, and discussions with countries that have bilateral security agreements with Ukraine, culminating in Biden's press conference.
(ał)
Source: PAP