Apprehensive allies gather in Washington to mark NATO's 75 years of mutual defence

Representatives of NATO nations gathered in Washington Tuesday for a landmark anniversary leaders' summit, complete with a musical performance that could have rivalled Broadway.

But behind the celebratory air and the parade of flags in the hall where allies signed the Washington Treaty 75 years ago — launching the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — there was an air of political anxiety.

On Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Democrats debated behind closed doors whether President Joe Biden should end his re-election campaign in the face of mounting questions about his fitness to both lead the United States and speak for American interests in NATO for the next four years.

At the NATO summit, apprehensive allies pondered what might happen to the alliance if former president Donald Trump regains the White House in the upcoming presidential election.

Meanwhile, behind closed doors, members of the alliance tried to hammer out language that would pave the way for Ukraine's eventual NATO membership, despite the reservations of some nations and the outright objections of others.

The gathering of NATO leaders gets underway in earnest on Wednesday.

In his formal remarks, soon-to-retire Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg delivered a rallying cry for the war-ravaged Eastern European nation and reminded the assembled leaders of the likely consequences if Russia's invasion succeeds.

«So the outcome of this war will shape global security for decades to come,» Stoltenberg said.

«The time to stand for freedom and democracy is now. The place is Ukraine.»

He acknowledged that supporting the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was never a «given» for NATO — due to Moscow's initial efforts at squeezing Europe's energy supply and the lingering threat