Held in Washington from 9th to 11th
CNN: "Will serve as a kind of health status assessment platform"
U.S. President Joe Biden has been embroiled in controversy over 'advanced age risk' following a TV debate, and it is expected that this issue will once again be put to the test at the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit next week.
According to U.S. CNN on the 5th, the NATO summit held in Washington from the 9th to 11th (local time) will serve as a kind of evaluation stage for President Biden's health condition. CNN reported that Biden's defeat in the TV debate was a shock even to diplomats around the world. Because of this, although allied countries will not mention the debate defeat situation directly to President Biden's face, they will closely observe his condition and share opinions related to it in some way, the media said.
A former senior U.S. diplomat told CNN, "President Biden will be in the spotlight at the NATO meeting." He added, "Attention will be focused on how President Biden looks, how he speaks, how he moves, and whether he appears healthy," and "President Biden and his team will also focus on appearing energetic."
The former diplomat also said that President Biden would feel pressure to perform well. Another European diplomat said, "Even if President Biden does well this time, considering the debate results, doubts will still not be erased," and "If he performs poorly again, it will be like pouring fuel on a crisis."
CNN pointed out that NATO member countries now have to keep in mind the possibility of the re-election of former President Donald Trump, who was unfriendly to the alliance. NATO member countries are already facing political landscape changes in the United Kingdom and France. In the UK, just days before the summit, the Labour Party won the general election, and Keir Starmer was newly inaugurated as prime minister, while in France, the far-right party is increasingly likely to produce the next prime minister.
Former President Trump maintained uncomfortable relations with allied countries during his first term in office, pressuring for NATO withdrawal and increased defense spending, and he has not changed this stance during recent election campaigns. He also made remarks implying that he would let Russia do as it pleases regarding allied countries that do not sufficiently share defense costs.
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