Description
Added on the 15/03/2022 18:35:10 - Copyright : AFPTV - First images
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis seeks to reassure European allies rattled by President Donald Trump's rhetoric, insisting that America's commitment to NATO is "iron-clad". SOUNDBITE
NATO members have agreed that their established goal of spending two percent of their national output on defence will become a minimum level, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg tells reporters. "Eleven allies now reach or exceed the two percent benchmark," he says at the end of the first day of the NATO summit in Vilnius. "And we expect this number will rise substantially next year. Today, allies made an enduring commitment to invest at least two percent of gross domestic product annually in defence." SOUNDBITE
US President Joe Biden will mark this month's anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with a visit to NATO ally Poland, the White House says. Biden will travel February 20-22 where he will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda, says Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. SOUNDBITE
The US has a "sacred commitment" to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's collective defence and the military alliance's article 5, US President Joe Biden tells his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda during a visit to Warsaw. SOUNDBITE
President Joe Biden's first foreign trip will be to the G7 summit in Britain this June, followed by NATO and EU summits in Brussels, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says. SOUNDBITE
Supporters of Zambian President Lungu hold a rally in Lusaka during a tense presidential race, which has been marked by clashes between rival supporters. The presidential election will take place on Thursday. IMAGES.