In the shadow of the American elections: how the world press sees the NATO summit (press clipping)

The NATO summit in Washington became an arena for the expression of various, in particular, mutually exclusive interests of the participating countries, which was vividly reflected by the world press. From hopes and expectations to worries and doubts – each country gained its experience of the high forum of the North Atlantic Alliance. The meeting of NATO states, the dialogues on the sidelines of the summit once again emphasized the tensions within the bloc and the complexity of the international dilemma, which determines the security situation in the world.

What did the media of NATO member countries write about the summit?

Biden minus, Trump plus?

British quality edition Financial Times writes about a pragmatic approach to diplomatic relations on the part of Europeans and the desire to avoid political surprises, which the bitter experience of 2016 in the USA reminds them.

Therefore, the European delegations at the summit of NATO leaders in Washington, the newspaper notes, did not waste time and held several meetings with Donald Trump’s associates due to concerns about the possible failure of Joe Biden. Biden is known to be lagging in the ratings and is facing pressure to drop out of the presidential race after a botched debate that cast doubt on his suitability for the presidency.

It is quite logical that European leaders, ministers, and high-ranking officials proactively communicate with politicians close to Trump, such as Kate Kellogg and Mike Pompeo.

Meetings with them took place on the sidelines of the NATO summit, which was supposed to be a stellar time for Biden, because he could present himself as a leader at the head of the united Western alliance. However, this possibility was somewhat overshadowed by the calls of the Democratic Party for him to refuse re-election.

Instead, Trump, a known critic of NATO, has worried many European capitals by saying that if he returns to the White House, the US may not protect all NATO allies. His rhetoric included the possibility of suspending military aid to Ukraine if Kyiv does not agree to peace talks with Moscow.

In private conversations during the summit, many European officials expressed irritation that the US election campaign overshadowed the NATO summit. And this is especially unfortunate given the inability of Europeans to influence the situation, which may ultimately have a huge impact on the future security of Europe and the world.

NATO is concerned about the scale of Russia’s rearmament

Leading French publication The world draws attention to another issue that is of considerable concern to NATO countries. It is about the scale of Russia’s rearmament.

For allies trying to organize long-term military support for Ukraine, it is important to answer the question: to what extent can the aggressor country replenish its stockpiles of ammunition? What resources does it have to increase its firepower? The publication emphasizes that for a long time Ukraine’s allies doubted Moscow’s ability to restore its arsenal during the war, especially when it came to the production of high-precision missiles. At the beginning of the invasion, everyone pointed to the weaknesses of the Russian defense industrial complex, talked about its dependence on technologies and components imported from Western countries. But today its ability to recover increasingly surprises and worries NATO.

Le Mond quoted General Christopher Cavoli, who commands US forces in Europe, as saying: “Russia aims to produce or refurbish more than 1,200 new main battle tanks a year and produce at least 3 million artillery shells or missiles a year – three times more than the US estimated at the beginning of the war It is also more than the amount of ammunition produced by all 32 NATO allies combined.”

The publication emphasizes that after more than two years of war, information about the number of tanks, drones and missiles that the Russian army has at its disposal remains strictly classified both by Russia and the West. This also applies to data on the number of dead. At the same time, this information is key to understanding the current situation in the war, as strategic planning and assessing the capabilities of the parties depend on it.

Anti-blockade position of Hungary

Hungarian online edition Origin quite expectedly covers the NATO summit through the prism of the statements of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Sijarto.

His position is anti-bloc: Hungary supports NATO cooperation with the countries of India and the Pacific Ocean, but only as long as the goal is not to create an anti-China bloc, as that would be a huge tragedy.

The publication expresses concern over the fact that the world is already taking such large steps towards re-bloc organization, which is against the interests of Hungary, because it has always suffered greatly from conflicts between the East and the West.

“We have to remind ourselves,” Cijarto quoted the publication as saying, “what does the acronym NATO mean, at least its first two letters, and what was the intention of the founders when NATO was founded. NA stands for North Atlantic. So, when NATO focuses on cooperation in the Pacific or Indian Ocean region, that’s fine, but only as long as it doesn’t become a conspiracy against someone.”

We cannot become an alliance for attack, we cannot organize the creation of an anti-Chinese bloc, – this is how Siatro articulates Hungary’s non-aggressive position.

Zelensky is the face, Orban is the reverse side of the summit

So metaphorically the Spanish edition The country speaks about the role of the leaders of the two European countries at the summit of the North Atlantic Alliance, who had two opposite views and expectations from the meeting of the NATO countries.

During the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi received commitments regarding military aid and steps for Ukraine’s accession to NATO, but did not receive the formal membership offer he sought.

In particular, during a meeting with US President Joe Biden, he discussed the issue of providing additional military assistance, including artillery shells and air defense systems, which are critically needed for Ukraine. Biden assured Zelenskyi that the United States will provide important new security assistance packages to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs on the battlefield and in the field of defense.

“We are dealing with another, aggressive Russia”

Leading German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung also quite expectedly quotes Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who defends NATO’s defense efforts against criticism. “We are dealing with another, aggressive Russia,” – said the German politician at the NATO summit.

That is why the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance should not only continue to support Ukraine, but also increase defense spending and strengthen the eastern flank. At the same time, Scholz welcomes the transfer of American long-range weapons to Germany from 2026 and emphasizes that, together with France and Great Britain, Germany itself will develop cruise missiles.

Deterrence is necessary because of Russia’s rearmament, FAZ concludes.