急于翻过关于他的精神健康问题的一页，总统乔·拜登周二正式公开北约的华盛顿峰会宣布他所谓的“历史性捐赠”关键的新防空能力，以支持乌克兰对俄罗斯的斗争。
“普京最想要的就是彻底征服乌克兰，结束乌克兰的民主，摧毁乌克兰的文化，把乌克兰从地图上抹去，我们知道普京不会就此罢休，”拜登宣称。"但毫无疑问，乌克兰能够也将会阻止普京."
拜登概述的承诺包括四个爱国者反导弹电池；根据这些国家的声明，美国、德国和罗马尼亚将各提供一架，第四架将由荷兰和其他北约成员国提供的部件拼凑而成。
“美国将确保当我们出口关键的防空拦截器时，乌克兰走在最前面。他们将在其他人获得援助之前获得援助，”拜登宣称。“总而言之，乌克兰将在明年获得数百枚额外的拦截导弹，帮助保护乌克兰城市免受俄罗斯导弹的攻击。”
拜登承诺向乌克兰提供新的帮助之际，他在世界舞台上的表现正受到人们的审视，人们对他的政治未来提出质疑。
联合声明称，意大利还承诺向乌克兰提供另一套SAMP-T防空系统。
拜登在讲话中说，北约盟国在未来几个月还将与乌克兰共享“几十个”其他战术防空系统。
几个月来，乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基一直敦促北约盟国加强乌克兰的空中防御，周一，俄罗斯导弹的袭击凸显了这一迫切需要。
据乌克兰官员称基辅的罢工造成33人死亡这是自2022年初俄罗斯入侵以来对首都最致命的袭击。
泽连斯基表示，乌克兰还需要7套爱国者系统，因此拜登的声明只是部分满足了这一需求。
德国和罗马尼亚此前公开表示，他们将向乌克兰运送爱国者电池。美国官员还证实，驻扎在波兰的一个美国电池将被转移，但这一行动尚未正式宣布。
联盟领导人早就预计，确保乌克兰能够继续抵御莫斯科的侵略将是此次峰会的首要议程，但在拜登笨拙的辩论表现之后，此次峰会也被视为对他担任下一个四年总统能力的关键考验。
在会议召开前的几天，白宫官员试图强调拜登在联盟内和更广泛的国际舞台上恢复美国领导力的努力，将他的立场与共和党挑战者唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)的立场形成对比，后者多次威胁要离开北约。
拜登说:“来自两党的绝大多数美国人都明白，北约让我们所有人都更加安全。”。“美国人，他们知道我们在朋友面前更强大。”
拜登还感谢即将离任的北约秘书长延斯·斯托尔滕贝格，感谢他的关键领导，并授予他总统自由勋章，这是美国可以授予平民的最高荣誉。
Eager to turn the page from questions about his mental fitness, President Joe Biden on Tuesday officially opened NATO's Washington Summit by announcing what he called a "historic donation" of critical new air defense capabilities to bolster Ukraine's fight against Russia.
"Putin wants nothing less -- nothing less than Ukraine's total subjugation, to end Ukraine's democracy, to destroy Ukraine's culture and to wipe Ukraine off the map and we know Putin won't stop at Ukraine," Biden declared. "But make no mistake Ukraine can and will stop Putin."
The commitments Biden outlined include four Patriot anti-missile batteries; the U.S., Germany and Romania will supply one each, and the fourth will be cobbled together from components provided by the Netherland and other NATO members, according to a statement from the countries.
"The United States will make sure that when we export critical air defense interceptors, Ukraine goes to the front of the line. They will get this assistance before anyone else gets it," Biden declared. "All told, Ukraine will receive hundreds of additional interceptors over the next year, helping protect Ukrainian cities against Russian missiles."
Biden's pledge of new help for Ukraine comes as performance on the world stage is being scrutinized amid questions about his political future.
Italy has also committed to providing Ukraine with another of its SAMP-T air defense systems, the joint statement said.
In his address, Biden said NATO allies would also share "dozens" of other tactical air defense system s with Ukraine in the coming months.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging NATO allies to fortify the country's air defenses for months, and on Monday, an onslaught of Russian missiles underscored the dire need.
According to Ukrainian officials, the strikes killed 33 people in Kyiv, making it the deadliest attack on the capital city since Russia's invasion began in early 2022.
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine requires seven more Patriot systems, so Biden's announcement only partially fills that demand.
Germany and Romania had previously publicly indicated they would send Patriot batteries to Ukraine. U.S. officials had also confirmed that an American battery stationed in Poland would be transferred, but the move had not yet been formally announced.
Alliance leaders have long anticipated that ensuring Ukraine could continue to weather Moscow's aggression would top the gathering's agenda, but following Biden's fumbling debate performance, the summit has also been cast as a pivotal test of his capability to serve as president for another four years.
In the days leading up to the meeting, White House officials have sought to emphasize Biden's efforts to restore American leadership within the alliance and on the international stage more broadly--contrasting his position with Republican challenger Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to leave NATO.
"An overwhelmingly bipartisan majority of Americans understand that NATO makes us all safer," Biden said. "Americans, they know we're stronger with our friends."
Biden also acknowledged outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, thanking him for his pivotal leadership and honoring him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest American honor that can be bestowed upon a civilian.
