Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is attending the Nato Summit this week. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is off to the United States this week in the middle of a tense and important time in world politics.
He’s there for what’s described as “DC’s diplomatic Super Bowl”, where dozens of foreign leaders will descend upon Washington for the Nato Summit.
The alliance celebrates 75 years since 12 countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty. This year, 32 Nato allies are to meet in the country’s capital.
Former New Zealand ambassador to the US, Tim Groser told The Front Page that several key issues loom over the summit, including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I can’t stand what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has done in the Ukraine. But, in my opinion, it was always a fantasy on steroids to think you could drive the last Russian soldier out of the entire Ukraine.
“I’m sure the Prime Minister will convey our strong support for Ukraine. Don’t confuse what I’m saying with lack of support. I’m talking about reality as opposed to wishful thinking,” he said.
Secretary-General Jen Stoltenberg has prefaced the summit by saying support for Ukraine is Nato’s “most urgent task”.
Former US President Donald Trump’s resurgence also adds an unexpected spanner to the summit - as well as America’s debate about President Joe Biden’s perceived lack of cognizance.
So much so, that Biden has urged American voters to watch him work the room.
“I guess a good way to judge me is you’re going to have now the Nato conference here in the US,” Biden said on ABC.
Groser said it is clear politicians worldwide are beginning to prepare themselves for what a second Trump term would mean for them.
“I’ve had a few of my political contacts from my days as ambassador in touch with me over the last few days. It’s clear the odds of a Trump presidency have increased. And it’s also very clear from what I’m being told that a number of countries are quietly polishing up their credentials with Trump personalities, because we may have to deal with this president again.”
If he was asked whether this would cause concern, Groser says unquestionably, but you won’t hear this expressed in public.
“People who are not involved in diplomacy don’t necessarily understand the core point here. You deal with what you have.”
The point of the trip in all, Groser said, is not to bring home some deal or announcement - but meet with as many officials behind the scenes.
Attending the summit will be one of the first things on new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s agenda, for example.
Other fairly new leaders in attendance include Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Portugal’s Luis Montenegro, Finland’s Alexander Stubb, Iceland’s Bjarni Benediktsson, and Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini.
It is understood Luxon will meet both Republican and Democratic politicians while in the US - including the likes of senators Ted Cruz and Jon Ossoff, and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
“Ted Cruz stood against Donald Trump for the candidacy in the first place. He remains a very influential Republican.
“I’ve never met Gavin Newsom, but from every possible angle, he seems like the rising star of the next generation of Democratic Party leaders,” Grosser said.
At Nato, Luxon will be meeting his Australian, Japanese, and South Korean counterparts as part of what’s been known as the “Indo-Pacific Four”.
An issue high on this cohort’s list is likely to be China and its influence in the Pacific.
“I’ve used the old cliche in the past about if you want to be in the circus, you have to be able to ride two horses at once,” Grosser said.
“That’s never easy, and if you can use the visual metaphor of it, if the two horses part company on crucial issues, we may be forced to make a choice. But, we should delay that as far as we possibly can because China is way, way more important to employment and our economy than the United States.”
Listen to the full episode to hear more about how we should prepare for a potential second Trump presidency, Luxon’s sideline meetings, and how important the US could be to NZ’s economy.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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