Washington (EFE)
Biden and Frederiksen exchanged praise before the media at the start of their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House. Both were united in their support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion and stressed the importance of working together to combat the climate crisis.
Specifically, Biden highlighted the “values” that both nations share and considered that these common visions are reflected in Ukraine’s defense against Russian “brutal aggression.”
Frederiksen responded by praising Biden’s commitment to NATO and citing the “strong” support that Denmark and the United States have given Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
“I am looking forward to working even closer with you on defense and security issues”, stressed the Danish official.
NATO leadership
Neither leader alluded to the possibility of Frederiksen becoming the first woman to serve as NATO Secretary General when Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg steps down in October at the end of his current term after nine years in office.
Diplomatic sources from a European country told EFE on Monday that Frederiksen is part of a list of possible candidates to replace Stoltenberg. However, she has avoided expressing her interest in the position publicly.
At the end of her meeting with Biden, Frederiksen was asked about it by EFE and said she did not want to “enter into speculation.”
Frederiksen, who at 41 became Denmark’s youngest leader in 2019, has emerged on the international scene as a strong supporter of Ukraine in recent months.
Frederiksen, defender of Ukraine
Since the invasion began, he has visited Ukraine three times and Denmark is one of the countries in Europe that has allocated the most military aid per capita to Kiev, according to the Germany-based think tank Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Denmark has also been willing to train Ukrainian pilots to fly US-made F-16 fighters and has opened the door to sending those planes to Ukraine.
NATO will hold its next summit in Vilnius on July 11 and 12 and there they could formally choose Stoltenberg’s successor.
Any candidate who wants to be the next leader of NATO needs the support of the 31 members of the Alliance, something not easy due to certain internal divisions, such as Turkey’s rejection of Sweden joining the transatlantic club.
Given the large role the United States has in NATO, Biden’s seal of approval holds a lot of value.