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WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said in an interview broadcast Sunday that Ukraine is not ready for that membership in NATO and that it was “too early” to start the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the midst of the war. In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Biden said he did not “believe there is a consensus in NATO about whether or not to include Ukraine in the NATO family now,” and that the process could only take place after a peace deal with Russia. in the place. “If war continues, we are all at war,” Biden said, referring to the alliance’s commitment to mutual defense. “We are at war with Russia, if that’s the case.” He added that there would be “other qualifications that must be met, including democratization”, for Ukraine to be considered for membership.
The president kicked off a trip to Europe Sunday that will include attending a NATO summit in Lithuania, where Russia’s war in Ukraine — and last week’s decision by the United States to supply Ukraine with weapons banned by most of its allies — will be the main focus.
Biden said in the interview that he warned Chinese President Xi Jinping against getting too close to Russia. He added that after the Chinese leader met Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, Biden spoke with Xi and reminded him that dozens of American companies had pulled out of Russia since the war began. “He didn’t argue,” Biden said. “And if you notice, he hasn’t done a complete job” on Russia.
Biden also defended his decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine, which are banned by many of America’s closest allies. It was a difficult decision, he said, but with artillery supplies dwindling, the choice was between supplying weapons or leaving Ukraine defenseless. “It was a very difficult decision on my part – and by the way, I’ve discussed this with our allies, I’ve discussed this with our friends at the top of the hill,” Biden said. “The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition.” Another topic for discussion at the NATO summit will be Sweden’s interest in joining the alliance. Biden said he was “optimistic” that Sweden was closer to joining the group, despite opposition from Turkish President Erdogan.
The president kicked off a trip to Europe Sunday that will include attending a NATO summit in Lithuania, where Russia’s war in Ukraine — and last week’s decision by the United States to supply Ukraine with weapons banned by most of its allies — will be the main focus.
Biden said in the interview that he warned Chinese President Xi Jinping against getting too close to Russia. He added that after the Chinese leader met Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, Biden spoke with Xi and reminded him that dozens of American companies had pulled out of Russia since the war began. “He didn’t argue,” Biden said. “And if you notice, he hasn’t done a complete job” on Russia.
Biden also defended his decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine, which are banned by many of America’s closest allies. It was a difficult decision, he said, but with artillery supplies dwindling, the choice was between supplying weapons or leaving Ukraine defenseless. “It was a very difficult decision on my part – and by the way, I’ve discussed this with our allies, I’ve discussed this with our friends at the top of the hill,” Biden said. “The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition.” Another topic for discussion at the NATO summit will be Sweden’s interest in joining the alliance. Biden said he was “optimistic” that Sweden was closer to joining the group, despite opposition from Turkish President Erdogan.
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