总统乔·拜登周日开始为期五天的欧洲之行，重点是本周晚些时候在立陶宛举行的北约会议，盟国希望加强对乌克兰的支持，并增加瑞典批准的可能性加入军事联盟.

“我们期待着欧洲繁忙的一周。我们期待着总统能够进一步巩固、加强和推动强大的团结联盟，这一联盟一直在有效地反对俄罗斯的侵略，”白宫国家安全顾问杰克·沙利文周五下午对记者说。

总统从伦敦开始他的行程，他将于7月10日在温莎城堡会见查理三世国王，这是拜登自加冕以来首次会见国王。第一夫人吉尔·拜登代表美国和他们的孙女芬尼根参加了五月的加冕典礼。

沙利文周五表示:“在伦敦期间，他将在温莎城堡会见查尔斯国王，并参加一个论坛，该论坛将重点关注动员气候融资，特别是将私人融资从发展中国家的清洁能源部署和适应中带出来。”

拜登还将会见印度总理里什·苏纳克，这是两国领导人在过去六个月中的第六次会面。他们最后一次见面是在6月的白宫。

拜登将从伦敦前往立陶宛维尔纽斯参加第74届北约峰会，预计此次峰会将围绕北约在俄罗斯入侵之际对乌克兰的支持展开。

沙利文强调说:“乌克兰不会在这次峰会后加入北约，”但他补充说，将讨论“在继续前进的过程中需要采取什么步骤。”

2022年2月24日，美国总统乔·拜登在白宫东厅发表俄罗斯入侵乌克兰的讲话。

Brendan Smialowski/法新社

“维尔纽斯将是加入北约道路上的一个重要时刻，因为美国、我们的北约盟国和乌克兰将有机会讨论乌克兰要达到北约标准仍需进行的改革。所以，事实上，这将是一个里程碑。但是乌克兰在加入北约之前还需要采取进一步的措施。

乌克兰的反攻正在进行中让他们的军队夺回了东南部的领土但是总统沃洛德梅尔·泽伦斯基说他希望这件事能尽快完成。他一再要求美国提供F-16战斗机，他说这将给他们“更快行动的机会”。

拜登政府拒绝了这一要求，但现在正与盟友合作，训练乌克兰人使用F-16战机，并最终帮助他们获得用于战争的战机。

在四月份获得批准后，北约峰会还将增加一个成员芬兰，以及一个挥之不去的问题，即土耳其和匈牙利是否会放弃反对瑞典加入联盟。

拜登周三在白宫会见了瑞典首相乌尔夫·克里斯特松，称瑞典是美国“有能力和坚定的伙伴”，并再次呼吁他们加入北约。

“美国完全，完全，完全支持瑞典的成员资格，”他说，并补充说，他们将“使我们的联盟更加强大。”

为了扩大军事联盟，必须得到所有成员的一致同意。土耳其推迟了他们的提升，指责瑞典对恐怖组织手软，比如库尔德工人党(PKK)。

拜登将于7月13日星期四在芬兰赫尔辛基结束他的行程，参加美国-北欧领导人峰会。

Biden journeys through Europe ahead of NATO summit

PresidentJoe Bidenbegins a five-day swing through Europe on Sunday with a focus on NATO gathering later this week in Lithuania, as allied countries look to boost support for Ukraine and the possibility of Sweden's approvalto join the military alliance.

"We're looking forward to a busy week in Europe. And we're looking forward to the president being able to further solidify, strengthen and give momentum to the strong united alliance that has been standing up so effectively against Russian aggression," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters Friday afternoon.

The president begins his trip in London, where he will meet King Charles III at Windsor Castle on July 10, the first time Biden will meet with the king since his coronation. First Lady Jill Biden represented the United States at the coronation with their granddaughter Finnegan in May.

"While in London, he will meet with King Charles at Windsor Castle and engage with a forum that will focus on mobilizing climate finance especially bringing private finance off the sidelines for clean energy deployment and adaptation in developing countries," Sullivan said Friday.

Biden is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak -- the sixth time the leaders will meet in the past six months. They last met at the White House in June.

From London, Biden heads to Vilnius, Lithuania, to attend the 74th NATO summit -- which is expected to center around the alliance's support for Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion.

"Ukraine will not be joining NATO coming out of this summit," Sullivan stressed, but he added there will be discussion of "what steps are necessary as it continues along its path."

"Vilnius will be an important moment on that pathway towards membership because the United States, our NATO allies and Ukraine will have the opportunity discuss the reforms that are still necessary for Ukraine to come up to NATO standards. So, this will, in fact, be a milestone. But Ukraine still has further steps it needs to take before membership in NATO," Sullivan added.

Ukraine's counteroffensive is underway andhas allowed their forces to regain territory in the southeast, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he'd like it to be accomplished sooner. He's repeatedly asked the U.S. for F-16 fighter aircraft, which he says would give them an "opportunity to move faster."

The Biden administration had resisted that request but is now working with allies to train Ukrainians on F-16s and eventually help get them jets for the war.

The NATO summit also takes place with an additional member, Finland, after being approved in April, and a lingering question of whether Turkey and Hungary will drop objections to Sweden joining the alliance.

Biden met with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the White House on Wednesday, calling the country a "capable and committed partner" for the U.S. and repeating his call for them to join NATO.

"The United States fully, fully, fully supports Sweden's membership," he said, adding that they would "make our alliance stronger."

In order to expand the military alliance, there must be unanimous approval of all members. Turkey has delayed their ascension, accusing Sweden of being soft on terrorists groups, such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Biden wraps his trip on Thursday, July 13, in Helsinki, Finland, for a U.S.-Nordic leaders summit.