President Biden and NATO Members to discuss ties with China and Russia

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US President Joe Biden and other NATO member countries have planned to discuss tense ties with Russia and China the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the future of the 30-nation military alliance at a summit on 14^th June in Belgium. The meeting will take place at NATO headquarters in Brussels and will be a face-to-face opportunity for Biden to rebuild relations with leaders from Europe and Canada. On Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement and said, “This is a unique opportunity to reinforce NATO as the enduring embodiment of the bond between Europe and North America. The meeting will focus on the security challenges of today and tomorrow: Russia’s aggressive actions, the threat of terrorism, cyber-attacks, emerging and disruptive technologies, the security impact of climate change, and the rise of China”.

It is noteworthy that the meeting is scheduled as NATO-led troops leave Afghanistan, the alliance’s biggest, and most challenging operation ever, with the objective of being gone by Sept. 11 at the latest. Moreover, NATO allies activated the organization’s collective defense clause for the first and only time after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001 to rally to the defense of the United States. On Thursday, the top US general for the Middle East, Gen. Frank McKenzie informed Congress that Afghanistan’s military will certainly collapse without some continued American support once all US troops are withdrawn.

McKenzie also said he was very concerned about the ability of the Afghan government to protect the US Embassy in Kabul. Point to be noted that McKenzie is the head of US Central Command. He said, “My concern is the Afghans’ ability to hold ground and whether they will able to continue to maintain and fly their aircraft without US aid and financial support, as the US pulls out all forces“. McKenzie added, “It will be paramount to protect the US Embassy and it is a matter of great concern to me whether or not the future government of Afghanistan will be able to do that once we leave”. The US administration officials have made it clear that military commanders didn’t recommend the full or unconditional withdrawal that Biden has ordered.