President Joe Biden planned to meet with NATO leaders Wednesday to show the strength and unity among members of the alliance in what could be one of the most consequential gatherings in its 73 year history.
Biden was able to get a contentious issue off the table by encouraging Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo to drop his opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO on the first day of the summit. The three countries foreign ministers signed a memorandum Tuesday to confirm that Turkey will back Sweden and Finland's NATO bids, removing the last clear barrier to entry.
Biden spoke with Erdo on Tuesday morning, encouraging him to take this moment and get this done in Madrid, a senior administration official said. Biden tried to help get this across the finish line, even though the U.S. didn't directly broker the deal, he tried to put a thumb on the scale. Biden and Erdo are scheduled to meet Wednesday.
The agreement to expand the alliance is intended to bolster the ability of the alliance to fend off Russian aggression toward its member states, along with announcements about increasing the number of troops along NATO's eastern flank.
The last time the NATO leaders met for an emergency meeting in Brussels in March, there was a sense of triumph among the members as they locked arms against Russia, fearing that they could be next if Ukraine were to fall. It was a big reversal from a few years ago when members questioned whether the alliance was still relevant.
The 30 NATO members have maintained their resolve in supporting Ukraine, but there have been differing views on a range of issues, from how far to go in punishing Russia to the level of military preparedness needed.
Biden hopes to project a show of unity to Russia coming out of the summit, an endeavor that is greatly aided by the deal between Sweden, Finland and Turkey.
Biden said this week that they have to stay together before a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Because Putin has been counting on that somehow NATO would and G -- 7 would splinter from the beginning. Prior to the start of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced a major overhaul of the group's military posture and priorities, increasing the number of its forces at high readiness to more than 300,000 from the current level of 40,000, along with bolstering military supplies and equipment in NATO members bordering Russia.