Harris will attend the Munich Security Conference, U.S. officials: a great opportunity to show her abilities

The Paper's reporter Nan Boyi intern Lu Zhilin

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will represent the United States at the Munich Security Conference scheduled for Feb. 18-20. Foreign media said she would hold a series of face-to-face meetings with U.S. allies and partners seeking to stop Russia from "invading" Ukraine.

On February 9, Reuters quoted a senior official of the US government as saying that Harris will attend the Munich Security Conference and make a speech to clarify US policy on Ukraine and reaffirm the US commitment to NATO allies. She will also have one-on-one meetings with EU and NATO leaders to build a united front and discuss how to strengthen Ukraine's defenses against a Russian "invasion."

"The purpose of this visit is to engage with our allies and partners and to build on the close contacts that already exist." The official said.

The official also revealed that at a time when Ukraine faces the threat of a massive Russian "invasion," Harris will "reaffirm the U.S. commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

According to the New York Post, deputy press secretary Singh said on February 9, Harris's attendance at the meeting "will demonstrate the firm commitment of the United States to NATO allies and reaffirm the common interests of the United States in maintaining the principles that have supported peace and security in Europe since World War II."

The Munich Security Conference 2022 is expected to take place in Munich from 18 to 20 February, with around 35 heads of state and government travelling to the traditional meeting site of the Bavarian state capital. At this session, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will undoubtedly be the focus of discussion. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on February 9 that it would not send a delegation to the Munich security conference, and Putin would not attend. According to TASS, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy plans to attend the meeting.

Since the second half of 2021, Russia has continued to assemble more than 100,000 soldiers on the Russian-Ukrainian border. Although Russia denies planning an invasion of Ukraine, NATO officials believe Moscow could launch an "invasion" "at any time."

NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said on Feb. 3 that Russia's military deployment near Ukraine was the largest since the Cold War and "is expected to have 30,000 combat troops, including special operations units, SU-35 fighter jets, S-400 air defense systems and nuclear-capable Iskander missiles."

The U.S. Department of Defense announced Feb. 2 that the White House had approved the deployment of about 3,000 additional U.S. troops to Poland, Romania and Germany to support NATO's Eastern European members. On the 7th, Germany and britain also announced that they would send additional soldiers to Poland and Lithuania to strengthen NATO's eastern flank.

In the early hours of February 7, Putin warned for the second time in a week that if Ukraine joined NATO and tried to take back Crimea militarily, European countries would automatically be dragged into a "no-winner" military conflict, and Moscow would do everything it could to find a compromise that would satisfy all parties.

In this regard, US President Biden responded on the same day that if Russia sends troops across the border, the United States will impose the most severe sanctions on Russia in history, but he also stressed that diplomacy is the best way to solve Moscow's concerns. The day before, Biden said in a meeting with German Chancellor Scholz that if Russia "invades" Ukraine, the United States will stop the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project that transports natural gas from Russia to Germany.

For Harris, the Munich trip was Harris' second trip to Europe after her visit to Paris in November 2021 and could be a major diplomatic test during her vice presidency and her most high-profile diplomatic trip to date.

Since taking office, Harris has mainly assisted Biden in dealing with immigration issues, and has made several trips to other countries, including Guatemala, Mexico, Singapore and Vietnam. But there are reports that Harris' public appearances and efficiency on a range of major issues at home and abroad are being heavily criticized by many of his colleagues. Accused of being ill-prepared and ill-positioned as vice president, she is being marginalized in the White House.

In response, some officials still said that the Munich security conference is a good opportunity for Harris to show his ability, and through this visit, "the vice president is more clearly and openly showing that she can play a key role in U.S. foreign policy."

Responsible Editor: Zhang Wuwei Photo Editor: Jin Jie

Proofreader: Luan Meng