What Were the Results of the Summits, and Talks with President Duda?
Last week, presidents of NATO and EU nations, including President Andrezj Duda of Poland, gathered for summits, with President Joseph Biden of the United States also in attendance. The summits occurred on Monday, June 14th, and Tuesday, June 15th, respectively, before Biden’s summit with the Kremlin, which took place on Wednesday, June 16th. A central focus of the NATO and EU summits was the actions of both China and the Kremlin. Many NATO countries and EU member nations are understandably concerned about some of the Kremlin’s powers, including their potential monopoly on energy and gas in Eastern Europe through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. A significant number of NATO members believe that the deterrence of the aggression of the Kremlin must be the main concern of their security efforts. While attention can be devoted to China as well, dealing with the Kremlin should be the first priority. As was stated in the comuniqué issued by NATO, the Kremlin’s “…aggressive actions constitute a threat to Euro-Atlantic security.” NATO members also discussed invoking Article 5, which is the mutual defense agreement, in response to the hybrid and cyber warfare threat that the Kremlin poses.
On the morning of Monday, June 14th, United States President Biden met with leaders of Eastern European nations, including the President of Poland Andrzej Duda. The United States military continues to maintain a presence in Poland, playing a role in protecting the West from the hostilities of the Kremlin. In November of 2020, President Duda ratified the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which placed headquarters of the United States Army’s V Corps in Poznáańn. The American military presence helps in keeping NATO’s eastern flank strong. With this being said, though, President Biden waived the country’s sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in late May, thus opening the way for the Kremlin to complete the project, which will put a monopoly on energy and therefore have the potential to be damaging to the European economy upon its completion. As stated in the official readout of President Biden’s meeting with President Duda from the White House, President Biden “reiterated his support for NATO’s strengthened defense and deterrence agenda and his resolute commitment to the defense of allies on NATO’s eastern flank, including Poland.” Biden also “discussed his plans for the upcoming [at the time] summit with…” the Kremlin.
On Wednesday, June 16th, United States President Biden had his summit with the Kremlin, meeting with them over the course of several hours. Unfortunately, it does not seem as though a focus was placed upon the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. However, on Monday, June 21st, reports surfaced that the United States had prepared a new package of sanctions on the Kremlin to address the poisoning and sentencing to prison of outspoken Kremlin activist and critic Alexey Navalny. However, it remains to be seen exactly where the sanctions will be focused upon. Hopefully, they are placed on the companies participating in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. President Duda and Poland will continue to look towards the United States for support on the European and world stage.
by PAC Intern Alexander Tantum
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