"Ukraine Can And Will Stop Putin," Biden Says, As NATO Pledges 'Important Decisions' During Washington Summit

The United States on Tuesday pledged to strongly defend Ukraine against Russia's invasion, as President Joe Biden welcomed the leaders of the NATO member nations in Washington to mark the Alliance's 75th anniversary in the city where the original treaty was signed in 1949, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"In Europe, Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues.  And Putin wants nothing less than Ukraine’s total subjugation; to end Ukraine’s democracy; to destroy Ukraine’s culture; and to wipe Ukraine off the map," Biden said as he opened the summit, addressing his guests: "Ukraine can and will stop Putin," he said, adding that NATO today is "stronger than it's ever been in its history."

The centerpiece of the NATO summit is set to be new commitments of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Welcoming NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the State Department Tuesday morning, Secretary Antony Blinken said the summit would "further strengthen" the war-torn country's path to NATO membership.

NATO to make 'important decisions' on Ukraine this week, as the NATO chief put it, in response. "We  will make decisions on Ukraine, and I think what you have seen over the  last days demonstrates the need to step up our support for Ukraine," he said.

According to State Department's spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken and the NATO chief discussed expected decisions at this week's NATO-Ukraine Council to "build a bridge to NATO membership while enabling Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression, today and in the future."

".... We will have significant military, political, and economic measures [for Ukraine] to announce over the course of this [NATO] summit," Miller told a daily briefing when responding to TURAN's questions.

Later on Tuesday, Biden and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Romania issued a joint statement with President Zelenskiy announcing the delivery of five additional Patriot and other strategic air defense systems to protect Ukrainian cities, civilians and soldiers. They said additional strategic air defense systems would be announced this year.

Zelenskiy, who will meet with Biden tomorrow, had told a Washington audience that Ukraine needed a minimum of seven Patriot systems, a goal met by the fresh deliveries announced yesterday.