Biden heads to Europe for NATO meeting – he has some ‘splaining to do

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission chief, is on her way to being named the next secretary general of NATO. The current one, Jens Stolenberg, had his term extended to October 2024 last week when the alliance could not decide on a successor. Blame Joe Biden.

Both of the terms of von der Leyen and Stolenberg are set to expire next year. An early favorite to be named to the NATO position was UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lobbied for Wallace. Biden turned against that idea, though, because he wants a woman to get the top position (she would be the first woman to be Secretary General of NATO) and because he is delivering a dose of retaliation against the U.K.

The reason for Biden’s position was supposedly that the UK began to actively promote the idea of training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets and forming a coalition with other allies on this issue without first obtaining US consent.

The outlet has noted that this is not the first time London has made a bold move on weapons for Ukraine, hoping to push the US. The UK itself will not be able to provide Ukraine with F-16s because it does not have them.

Joe Biden fancies himself as the leader of NATO and the one who has kept the alliance united in its support of Ukraine against Putin’s invasion. The truth is that Biden was slow to enter the fray when Putin invaded Ukraine and he has been slow ever since in authorizing the weapons and ammunition that Zelensky has requested. The U.K. has pushed him along.

Biden had backed Danish PM Mette Frederickson but she didn’t impress on a trip to Washington and Poland raised objections to yet another Nordic leader. That is when Sunak told his cabinet that Ben Wallace was an “outstanding candidate” for the NATO job. He said that Wallace is widely respected among world leaders.

The appointment of Ursula von der Leyen would be very controversial because of her dismal track record as German defense secretary. Under her watch, troops trained with broomsticks and cronyism was rampant. The Germans and the French are in favor of her. There is growing support for her among other NATO members. She and Macron are allies. Europeans like Macron think that with von der Leyen at the helm of NATO, if Trump wins the presidency in 2024, NATO leadership would still have their backs, even if America is no longer “back” as Biden has told them since he was elected.

Picking Mrs von der Leyen is an endorsement of the EU, and the post-war international order, from the world’s most powerful man.

Even so, the choice of a woman whose confident determination earned her the disparaging nickname “Shotgun Uschi” was surprising for some. Her spell in charge of German defence, a notorious poisoned chalice, ended any hopes of succeeding Angela Merkel as chancellor.

She failed to get the army the funding and equipment it desperately needed, instead launching army nurseries and flexible working hours for soldiers.

Her unpopularity deepened amid accusations of cronyism before she was plucked from relative obscurity by Mrs Merkel and Mr Macron to be European Commission president in 2019.

She was off to an unsteady start in her handling of the initial response to the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, though she did find her footing.

So, to be clear, Biden is supporting a failed German defense minister because she is a woman and he thinks Germany is our strongest ally in Europe. Whatever happened to our “special relationship” with England? Biden promised a return to normal. The problem is that Biden hates England. because of his Irish roots and this is an opportunity to show his disdain.

Biden’s first stop was in London on Sunday. He is to meet with King Charles, though it is not an official state visit and he will meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before traveling on to Vilnius, Lithuania for the NATO summit.

Now we brace ourselves for the inevitable videos on social media of Biden embarrassing us as he wanders dazed and confused through another NATO summit.