On Politics

Tue Jul 11 2023

Marina Pitofsky | NOW reporter

Hi OnPolitics readers! President Joe Biden is in Vilnius, Lithuania, at a NATO summit, where leaders are facing a tough choice about whether to allow Ukraine to join the international organization.

Here's what to watch at this week's summit, USA TODAY's Francesca Chambers reports from Lithuania:

First, will Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convince NATO to let his country join the group while its war with Russia continues?

The alliance is split on when and how to extend an offer of admission to Ukraine, but Biden last week said he doesn't think the country is ready for NATO membership.

Spending fights: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is calling on Biden to press American allies to spend a higher proportion of their gross domestic products on defense.

Why? Just 11 of the organization's 31 countries are meeting the commitment to spend 2% of their annual GDP on defense. Senators have said Biden is supportive of their push to get NATO allies to pay up moving forward.

Keep reading: 5 things to watch at NATO: Tough choices for Biden, Zelenskyy's ire, next steps for Ukraine

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