(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden is focusing on global security at this week’s NATO summit, not domestic affairs, administration officials say.
Admiral John Kirby, the White House’s national security spokesperson, told NewsNation the summit is focused on continuing support for Ukraine and efforts to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza.
“Putin continues to want to terrorize the Ukrainian people, to continue to try to break their back, wants to continue to kill not only their soldiers but to kill their innocent civilians and even their children,” Kirby said. “It’s an urgent need right now, to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself.”
The president is being closely watched at the summit as Democrats have been raising concerns over his ability to beat Donald Trump in the November election. However, Kirby said Biden is concentrating on other matters, including continued efforts to broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza.
The administration has been working toward a deal for some time, negotiating with Hamas through mediators from Qatar and Egypt. The negotiations come after a sustained military action in the Gaza Strip that has led to a dire humanitarian situation.
While a lot of work has been done on the deal, Kirby said there is still much to do.
“Israel needs to be able to defend itself from another attack like Oct. 7. We can’t allow that to happen again,” Kirby said. “And we’ve got to make sure the people of Gaza have a future, a future that meets their aspirations. It has to start with food, water, medicine and fuel getting into them so we can alleviate human suffering.”
