‘A Playground for Putin’

This week, NATO leaders will gather in Washington, D.C., for the defensive alliance’s 75th annual summit. The high-profile gathering comes at a moment of political turmoil in the United States, as President Joe Biden struggles to demonstrate his fitness to lead following a poor debate performance late last month.

The 81-year-old Biden, by his own admission, had a very “bad night” as he faced off against former President Donald Trump on the debate stage. But the perception of an enfeebled U.S. president could have consequences that go beyond the ballot box. Amid a period of global unrest, American allies fear bad actors may view the weakened Biden on display at the debate as an opening to push their own agendas.