Biden and Sullivan Address: Greater NATO Support for Ukraine Announced

(Patria) - White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday outlined a series of measures to strengthen United States and NATO support for Ukraine, as the military alliance's leaders gathered in Washington for a summit, Reuters reported.

NATO will announce a new military command in Germany in the coming days, to be led by a three-star general, for training and equipping Ukrainian troops, and will appoint a senior representative in Kyiv to deepen Ukraine's relationship with the alliance, Sullivan said at a defense industry conference sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Sullivan said NATO is committed to standing with Ukraine for the long haul as it fights Russian invaders.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin cannot divide us. He cannot outlast us. He cannot weaken us. And Ukraine, not Russia, will prevail," Sullivan said.

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed NATO leaders to Washington D.C. with a powerful speech in which he declared the military alliance "stronger than ever" as it faces its greatest challenge in a generation with the war in Ukraine. He called it a "pivotal moment" for Europe and the world.

Warning that "autocrats have torn down the global order" and that terrorist groups remain a threat, he announced increased military aid to Ukraine and welcomed Sweden and Norway into the alliance.

"The war will end with Ukraine remaining a free and independent country," Biden said.

"Russia will not prevail. Ukraine will prevail."

U.S. officials said the air defense aid includes Patriot missiles and their components. In the coming months, allies will also provide Ukraine with dozens of other tactical air defense systems.

Biden spoke for about thirteen minutes in a clear voice, a noticeable difference from his quiet tone during last month's presidential debate. His speech came at a difficult moment in his political career. He faces calls to withdraw as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate after a disastrous performance in last month's presidential debate.

Biden's team has responded by trying to show that the eighty-one-year-old is still energetic enough to handle the demands of the presidency. His administration has highlighted his role as host of the NATO summit this week in Washington D.C. as the alliance celebrates its 75th anniversary. Leaders from 32 member countries gathered Tuesday evening for Joe Biden's address.

The event was steeped in the alliance's history. It was held in the very place where the original treaty was signed a decade earlier, to which Biden referred in his speech. After the leaders posed for a group photo, the audience watched a video celebrating NATO, featuring archival footage of NATO troops and inspiring speeches from world leaders.

In his opening remarks, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg celebrated the group's creation "with the clear purpose of preserving peace and protecting freedom."

The group of nations is currently facing a major challenge as Russia continues its war against Ukraine. Stoltenberg called it "the greatest security crisis in generations."

Near the end of his speech, Biden invited Stoltenberg back to the stage, calling him "a man of integrity and intellectual rigor." He awarded Stoltenberg the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor.