The frail state of US President Joe Biden has caused concern among NATO officials during the key Washington summit, according to Politico. Despite long-standing concerns about Biden’s mental state, his shaky debate performance against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump two weeks ago has heightened worries. Several European nations have expressed alarm at the president’s apparent decline and are increasingly concerned that he could lose the November election to Trump, who harbors more hostile feelings towards NATO. While Biden has championed the organization as “the bulwark of global security,” Trump has been critical of NATO allies for failing to contribute their fair share to common defense spending.
Concerns about President Biden’s mental capacity have intensified in recent weeks, with numerous media outlets describing his debate performance against Trump as “fumbling” and “incoherent.” This has left some Democrats scrambling to find a replacement candidate, although Biden himself has categorically stated he has no plans to drop out of the race. European officials are particularly concerned about the possibility of Trump retaking the White House, given his more hostile stance on NATO.
The Washington summit was meant to be a celebratory event, but concerns about Biden’s decline have reportedly distracted the public from what should have been an exciting occasion. One Western official told Politico that they were more stressed about whether the president would go off script than being excited to listen to the leader of the free world. The same source noted that everyone was focusing on Biden’s appearance rather than Trump’s statements about NATO, and expressed a preference for a more stable situation in the United States.
While President Biden has consistently supported NATO as “the bulwark of global security,” Trump has been much more critical of the organization. The former president frequently criticized NATO allies for failing to contribute their fair share to common defense spending, and even claimed to have told Western leaders that unless they invest more in defense, he would encourage Russians to act aggressively. These statements were met with rebukes from both the Biden administration and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
In recent developments, Politico also reported that Trump was considering a deal with Russia not to expand NATO to Ukraine and Georgia if reelected. This uncertainty surrounding the US’s commitment to NATO has left European officials feeling uneasy about the future of the alliance under either potential president.