Pool Reports of July 11, 2023

Foreign pool report #1 – background on POTUS visit to Vilnius

Labas rytas! Good morning!

I'm your foreign pooler for President Joe Biden's visit to the NATO summit. Today I will cover two POTUS's bilateral meetings in Vilnius: with President of Lithuania Gitanas Naus?da at the Presidential Palace, and with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at "Litexpo", the exhibition and convention center where the NATO summit is being held.

Joe Biden visited Vilnius as Vice President in March 2014, after Russian annexation of Crimea. He met with then Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and separately with Latvian President Andris Berzins. During his trip to the region, which also included Warsaw, Biden denounced Russia's annexation of Crimea as a "land grab" and reassured Poland and Baltic States of strong U.S. support.

FLOTUS not attending:

Last Friday the spouse of the President of Lithuania, Diana Naus?dien?, had a telephone call with the U.S First Lady Jill Biden. The First Ladies discussed the treatment and rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian servicemen and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, per the Office of the President of Lithuania. FLOTUS is not attending a Spouses and Partners Program, hosted by the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Naus?dien?, and the Spouse of the Secretary General of NATO, Ingrid Schulerud.

Second visit of a U.S. President:

President Biden is the second sitting U.S. President to visit Lithuania. President Goerge W. Bush traveled to Vilnius in November 2002, where he met with the leaders of the Baltic States. During his speech at the Vilnius Town Hall Square, 43rd President officially invited Lithuania to join NATO. Bush's visit is considered an important milestone in Vilnius's efforts to join the Alliance. At the time Lithuanian's NATO membership was supported by the current President, then Senator Joe Biden.

Important event for Lithuania:

The 74th NATO Summit and President Biden's visit to Vilnius is considered the biggest and the most important event in the history of Lithuania since the restoration of its independence. The city had been preparing for the gathering for many months. 22 km of streets has been resurfaced this year and millions of Euros spent on upgrading infrastructure. Hosting the NATO summit will cost Lithuania about 38 million Euros.

Yellow and Blue everywhere:

In a show of support for a war-torn Ukraine and its membership in NATO, blue and yellow flags have been placed around Vilnius. Thousands Ukrainian flags were raised on street poles of main streets and placed on city busses and buildings. The city asked its citizens to show support for Ukraine by rising blue and yellow flags on their windows and balconies. Thousands of residents responded. The tallest building in the city - The Vilnius TV Tower, gets illuminated after dark in the colors of NATO, Lithuania, and Ukraine flags.

Foreign pool report #2 – Background on the meeting with Naus?da

The pool walked through the deserted Vilnius Old Town to the Presidential Palace, which is located just 300 yards from the RON. POTUS will arrive here in the Beast. It's a sunny, crisp morning here in Vilnius, temperature 62F.

Last night President Naus?da welcomed President Biden at the Vilnius Airport. Today at 10:15 AM he will hold an official arrival ceremony at the Presidential Palace, followed by a bilateral meeting between the two leaders and their delegations.

Agenda:

Announcing the meeting between both leaders, the office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania said that Gitanas Naus?da will discuss with Joe Biden support for Ukraine, measures to reinforce NATO's eastern flank, and the response to Belarus-backed Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine:

President Naus?da is a strong supporter of Ukraine's membership in NATO. He argues that the current security situation in Europe does not leave space for a slow process and decisive action is needed. "Now is the right time for strategic decisions. Inviting Ukraine to join NATO would be our strategic responsibility and would firmly link Ukraine to the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. Ukraine deserves to be invited" – Naus?da said on Monday after a meeting with a group of U.S. Senators

Indo-Pacific

Lithuania is one of the most hawkish European countries towards China. Vilnius wants to improve economic ties with Taiwan and increase cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners, according to a new Indo-Pacific strategy published by the Lithuanian government just days before the NATO summit. Lithuania was the first country that dropped out of China's "17+1" diplomatic initiative. Two other Baltic States: Estonia and Latvia followed, and the number of China's European partners dropped to 14.

The U.S. - Lithuania relations:

Diplomacy: The U.S. established diplomatic relations with Lithuania in 1922 and never formally recognized the forcible incorporation of Lithuania into the Soviet Union. After Lithuania regained its independence in 1990, both countries became close partners. The U.S. welcomed Lithuania's accession to NATO and the EU in 2004.

Defense: According to the Department of State, defense cooperation remains the lynchpin of the U.S.-Lithuania bilateral relationship. Since 2017 the DS provided $300 million in military assistance to Lithuania, and since 2018 the DOD provided an additional $200million. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania raised its 2022 defense budget by nearly 300 million euro to 2.52 percent of GDP.

Military Presence: In 2017 the NATO established forward presence in Baltic states ant Poland. The multinational battalion-size battlegroup in Lithuania is hosted by Germany, but the United States is one of the contributing nations. A U.S. Army Battalion from Fort Hood, Texas is currently deployed on a 9-month rotation in Camp Herlules in Pabrad?, 50 km north-east of Vilnius.

Trade: In 2022 the United States was Lithuania's 7th largest export partner with USD 2.5 billion in total trade.

Gitanas Naus?da

Gitanas Naus?da [Gee-tah-nahs No-seh-da] is a Lithuanian economist and politician who has been the President of Lithuania since 2019. He graduated from the Faculty of Industrial Economics at Vilnius University and finished a scholarship program in Germany. Before becoming a politician he held different positions in Lithuanian banks, including adviser to the chairman and chief economist. During presidential election he ran as an independent focusing on the economy and national security.

The Office of the President of Lithuania listed the following facts about Naus?da:
- speaks English, Russian and German,
- his philosophy: don't climb over other people's heads, climb over your own,
- most precious value: freedom,
- people without whom he cannot imagine his life: wife Diana, daughters Gedail? and Ugn?.
- admires: unconditional love for the country,
- favorite classical work: Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune",
- favorite singer: Freddie Mercury.

Foreign pool report #3 – arrival ceremony

The Beast with U.S and Lithuanian flags arrived at the courtyard of the Presidential Palace at 10:24 AM.

President Biden was welcomed by President Gitanas Naus?da.

The Honour Guard Company was assembled, and the chief of the guard reported to POTUS.

The military band played U.S and Lithuanian national anthems, and both presidents reviewed the honor guard, which is part of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion.

The Lithuanian delegation was introduced to Biden, while members the U.S. delegation were introduced to the Naus?da.

At 10:36 AM both leaders entered the White Hall - the main ceremonial hall of the Palace. POTUS signed the guest book and shook hands Naus?da as they posed for a photos. Responding to a question if he was surprised that Turkey agreed to Sweden's NATO accession, POTUS responded: "Not at all".

We are now waiting for a pool spray.

Foreign pool note #4 - Naus?da quotes

After thinking POTUS for his visit to Vilnius and emphasizing it's significance, the Lithuanian President spoke on several topics, including:

Security in the region:

"The situation in our region is unfortunately deteriorating. (…) Belarus is becoming additional threat, additional factor of insecurity in the region. So this is a reason why we ask NATO and our strongest ally the United States to be consistent in attention to the security of our region".

On NATO summit:

" NATO Summit takes place in in absolute proximity to adversary countries. This is symbolic event, symbolic, but at the same time, this is a great opportunity to take the decisions".

"The Vilnius meeting as already a historical one, even before it started because the membership of Sweden is already the one on the table and I think we will welcome the 32nd member of NATO very soon".

Transatlantic cooperation:

"Lithuania is probably one of the most enthusiastic supporters of transatlantic bond in Europe, in the the European Union. (…) Your attention is extremely important in this field of geopolitical uncertainty".

Lithuania is strengthening its military:

"Lithuania is intending to buy, to acquire military equipment from the United States. I would like to mention Black Hawks, HIMARS (…), all these military equipment that helps us to modernize our military forces. At the same time we are closely cooperating with Germany. Recently, a very good decision was announced by the defense minister Boris Pistorious to station its forces of the brigade size on a permanent basis"

Foreign pool report #5 – Background on the meeting with Erdogan

On Monday, after arriving in Vilnius Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an met with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, clearing the way for Sweden to join NATO. Erdo?an also spoke with President Charles Michele of the European Council. The meeting was closed press but Michel said on Twitter that they explored opportunities to reenergize EU-Turkey cooperation and bring it back to the forefront.

President Joe Biden, who welcomed Erdogan's commitment to Sweden's NATO membership, is scheduled to meet with the President of Turkey at 6:00 PM at the Lithuanian Exhibition and Conference Center. This will be their fourth meeting between Presidents Biden and President Erdo?an. They've met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels NATO in June 2021, during the summit in Madrid in June 2022, and had a pull-aside during G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Before today's meeting with Biden, Erdo?an held separate meetings with the Prime Minister of the UK Rishi Sunak, President of France Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau.

The U.S. - Turkey relations:

The United States considers Turkey a key NATO ally and critical regional partner. "It is in our interest to keep Turkey anchored to the Euro-Atlantic community", says the U.S. State Department.

Turkey is a member of NATO since 1952 and crucial security partner for the United States. As a member of anti-ISIS Coalition, Turkey opened its military bases to the United States in 2015, which was critical to defeating ISIS.

Relations between Washington and Ankara soured after Turkey bought the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. Following the purchase Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program by the U.S. The issue remains unresolved.

According to the United Nations COMTRADE in 2021 export from Turkey to the United States reached almost $15 billion which makes the U.S. second largest trading partner. The same year Turkey ranked 25th among the U.S. trading partners ($12.5 billion). The State Department considers U.S.-Turkey trade "modest compared to its potential".

Recep Tayyip Erdo?an:

69-year-old Recep Tayyip Erdo?an is the twelfth president of Turkey, holding this position since 2014. In May 2023 he defeated Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu, a candidate supported by six opposition parties.

In 1994 became the first-ever Islamist to be elected the mayor of Istanbul. His mayoral term got cut short after he was convicted of "inciting hatred" by reading a poem that court found to be violating secular laws. He spent four months in prison. In 2001 he created the conservative Justice and Development Party, and after winning parliamentary elections he became the Prime Minister of Turkey in 2003. In 2010 won a referendum on constitutional changes that increased government's control over courts and the military. Over the several years after winning presidential elections in 2014 Erdo?an significantly expanded presidential powers. In 2016 survived a military coup attempt. The Turkish government accused exiled Islamic scholar Muhammed Fethullah Gülen and his movement of organizing the coup. Turkish opposition accuses Erdo?an of jailing journalists and dissidents and undermining civil rights. Before the 2023 elections The Guardian said condemned him for being a part of "a broader global shift towards authoritarianism". Erdo?an strongly rejects these accusations.

During 2020 Presidential election Joe Biden described the Turkish president as an "autocrat" and criticized his policy towards the Kurds. "He has to pay a price," Biden said at the time as he called for helping Turkish opposition to defeat Erdogan during elections.

Foreign pool note #5 - Erdogan's quote

This is the quote of Erdogan (through translator) before bilateral meeting with POTUS:

"Mr. President, my dear friend, I would like to first of all, thank you for congratulating me in the aftermath of my re election to my current post, and I'm grateful for the congratulatory messages that you have extended to me.

And within the framework of our strategic mechanism, I think it's high time for the heads of states to get together for further consultations. That's why I believe today's meeting with you within the margin of the NATO Summit is the first step of our meetings.

Our meetings prior to this one were mere warmups, but now we are initiating a new process. This new process is a process of five years, and now you're getting prepared for the forthcoming elections. And with the forthcoming elections. I would like to take this opportunity to also wish you the best of luck".

To which Biden responded:

"Thank you. I look forward to being with you in the next five years. Mr. President",

Foreign pool note 5b - corrected quote

This is quote of Erdogan with a small correction in the second paragraph. He said "first step forward", instead "our meetings":

"Mr. President, my dear friend, I would like to first of all, thank you for congratulating me in the aftermath of my reelection to my current post, and I'm grateful for the congratulatory messages that you have extended to me.

And within the framework of our strategic mechanism, I think it's high time for the heads of states to get together for further consultations. That's why I believe today's meeting with you on the margins of the NATO Summit is the first step forward.

Our meetings prior to this one were mere warmups, but now we are initiating a new process. This new process is a process of five years, and now you're getting prepared for the forthcoming elections. And with the forthcoming elections, I would like to take this opportunity to also wish you the best of luck".

To which Biden responded:

"Thank you. I look forward to being with you in the next five years. Mr. President",

Travel pool report #1 — arrival ceremony/awaiting POTUS

Good morning from Vilnius for what is expected to be a long day of NATO meetings.

First up this morning: POTUS is participating in an official arrival ceremony with Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus?da, followed by a photo and guest book signing, and then a bilat with Naus?da. These events are taking place at the presidential palace. Then we're headed to the NATO summit site— the Lithuanian Exhibition and Conference Center—for the remainder of today's events.

The pool is staged in a large courtyard outside the presidential palace for the arrival ceremony. Members of the Lithuanian military are lined up near a long red carpet (workers were sweeping the carpet when we arrived). There's a fountain on the other side of the courtyard. Beyond the courtyard, there's a beautiful view of the city, with churches and ornate buildings peaking up above the walls.

We're awaiting POTUS' arrival. More soon.

NOTE: the pool did not travel in the motorcade with POTUS to the presidential palace. We walked to the palace so that we would be staged when POTUS arrived.

The city center is largely locked down and we spotted only a handful of tourists. We saw Ukrainian flags hanging on many of the buildings.

Travel pool report #2 — POTUS arrives

We didn't see POTUS depart his hotel, but the White House says Biden's motorcade was rolling at 10:21 am local time.

From the White House:

The President is participating in an official arrival ceremony with President Gitanas Naus?da ofLithuania at the Presidential Palace.

From our pre-staged location in the courtyard of the presidential palace, the beast arrived at 10:25 am and POTUS, in a blue suit, stepped out and greeted the Lithuanian president. They shook hands.

Then they stood side by side on the red carpet in front of the assembled military officials. A military band played the American national anthem. POTUS put his hand on his heart. The band then played the Ukrainian national anthem.

After the anthems, the two leaders walked along the carpet in front of the assembled members of the military and then past television cameras and photographers.

POTUS appeared to stop and talk for a minute to people on the rope line.

They then walked out of your poolers field of vision. We're now moving inside for the photo and signing of the guest book.

And an earlier note from the White House:

Traveling with the President via motorcade en route to the Presidential Palace of Lithuania:

Robert Gilchrist, Ambassador of the United States to Lithuania
Secretary Antony Blinken, Department of State
Secretary Lloyd Austin, Department of Defense
Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Jen O'Malley Dillon, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
Ben LaBolt, Assistant to the President & Director of Communications
Ambassador Rufus Gifford, Chief of Protocol of the United States
Colin Kahl, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations
Amanda Sloat, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Europe
Ariana Berengaut, Senior Advisor to the National Security Advisor

Travel pool report #3 — photo/guest book and a correction

Pool hustled into the presidential palace and gathered in an ornate room with elaborate molding on the walls and ceiling. Three Lithuanian and three American flags were lined up along a wall.

At 10:36 am, POTUS and the Lithuanian president entered.

A reporter asked, what made Turkey agree to a deal?

Biden smiled and said: "What do you think?" He did not elaborate.

He then sat down and signed the guest book. The two men then posed for photos.

Biden was asked whether he was surprised Turkey agreed to Sweden entering NATO before the summit.

"Not at all. I'll talk about it later."

And a correction: the military vans played the Lithuanian national anthem. Not the Ukrainian national anthem. Pool apologizes for the error.

Travel pool report #4 — bilat, no qs

The Lithuanian president spoke quietly to POTUS following the photo, pointing at things in the room. But pool couldn't hear what they said.

Pool then gathered for the bilat, which was held in a nearby room.

At 10:41, the pool entered the room

When we walked in, the Lithuanian president was already talking to POTUS. They were seated side by side in front of a wooden table, with their delegations seated at their sides.

Biden was flanked to his right by Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Lithuanian Pres: "the situation in our region is unfortunately deteriorating and we see what is happening around us." He says Belarus is getting even closer to Russia.

Naus?da said Belarus was becoming an "additional factor of insecurity in the region."

"This is symbolic event, symbolic but it is also a great opportunity," he says of the NATO summit. "I think we will welcome the 32nd member of NATO very soon."

He said Biden's speech would be a "historical moment". "From the bottom of our hearts we welcome your visit, we welcome your arrival."

"Probably Lithuania is one of the most enthusiastic supporters of trans-Atlantic bond"

He mentioned that Lithuania is trying to secure military equipment from the US

He said the Lithuanian people are greeting Biden warmly. And notes that some Vilnius residents left town because of the tight security.

Biden then spoke:

He said he was here as VP shortly before the first Russian invasion of Ukraine

"The United state is here today to reaffirm our commitment to NATO but also to Vilnius," Biden said.

"I pledge to be with you and not waiver," Biden said. He said he would make sure Lithuania had all the help it needed.

"We're also going to discuss our support for Ukraine," Biden said.

"As you've probably heard I'm a strong supporter of the transatlantic alliance," he said as he leaned towards the Lithuanian president.

"As I've said before, we take, NATO takes, all of us take, Article 5 literally."

He said he was looking forward to Sweden joining NATO adding, "I'm confident we can get that done."

"We're also going to discuss our support for the people of Ukraine," Biden said.

Biden didn't respond to shouted questions about Turkey and when he found out Turkey would support Sweden joining NATO.

From the White House:

The President is participating in a bilateral meeting with President Gitanas Naus?da of Lithuania.

U.S. Manifest
The President
T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Robert Gilchrist, Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Lithuania
T.H. Colin Kahl, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
T.H. Amanda Sloat, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe, National Security Council

Lithuania Manifest
H.E. Gitanas Naus?da, President of the Republic of Lithuania
H.E. Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs
H.E. Arvydas Anusauskas, Minister of National Defense
H.E. Asta Skaisgiryte, Chief Foreign Policy Advisor to the President
Mr. Kestutis Budrys, Chief National Security Advisor to the President
Mr. Frederikas Jansonas, Presidential Palace Press Lead
Ms. Lina Gubreviciute, Foreign Policy Advisor to the President

Travel pool report #5 — motorcade rolling

At 11:24 am, the motorcade was rolling. We didn't see POTUS get into the beast.

We're headed to the NATO summit site.

Travel pool report #6 — arrival at NATO summit site

At 11:35 pm, the motorcade arrived at the NATO summit site.

We saw several pro-Ukraine signs, including one that was written in Cyrillic. Another sign said that Ukraine doesn't have seven lives and called on NATO leaders to "hurry up."

The motorcade ride was otherwise uneventful. The city is mostly empty because of the tight security.

We didn't see POTUS and we're not scheduled to see him again until this afternoon. Your pooler has asked the White House for details on what POTUS is doing for the next couple hours.

The pool will be holding until 1:50 pm, when the family photo is scheduled to take place.

From the White House:

Traveling with the President via motorcade en route to theLithuanian Exhibition and Conference Center:

Robert Gilchrist, Ambassador of the United States to Lithuania
Julianne Smith, U.S. Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Secretary Antony Blinken, Department of State
Secretary Lloyd Austin, Department of Defense
Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Jen O'Malley Dillon, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
Ben LaBolt, Assistant to the President & Director of Communications
Ambassador Rufus Gifford, Chief of Protocol of the United States
Colin Kahl, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Curtis Ried, Deputy Assistant to the President & NSC Chief of Staff & Executive Secretary
Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations
Amanda Sloat, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Europe
Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director
Emilie Simons, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Press Secretary
Charlie Fromstein, National Security Council Director for Visits and Diplomatic Affairs, National Security Council
Adam Hodge, NSC Acting Senior Director for Press, National Security Council
Bindi Patel, Director for NATO and European Affairs, National Security Council
Melissa Hanlon, Director for Western European Affairs, National Security Council

Ariana Berengaut, Senior Advisor to the National Security Advisor

Travel pool report #7 -- gift

From the White House:

During their meeting, President Nauseda presented President Biden with The Order of Vytautas the Great with the golden collar. This is the highest award that a Lithuanian President can bestow and President Biden is the first U.S. President to receive the award "for special merits in developing the bilateral relations between the Republic of Lithuania and the United States of America, improving the political, cultural, economic, and social cooperation of the two countries."

The Order was instituted in 1930 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas the Great. It may be conferred on the heads of Lithuania and foreign states, as well as their citizens, for distinguished services to the State of Lithuania.

Travel pool report #8 — pool gathering for a spray with Stoltenberg

The pool is gathering for an unscheduled pull aside with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

From the White House:

There will be a brief spray at the top of a pull aside with POTUS and the Secretary General ahead of the family photo.

Travel pool report #9 — Stoltenberg spray

At 1:15 pm POTUS and Stoltenberg entered a meeting room on the sidelines of the summit where the pool was already staged and waiting.

The room had four flags — two American and two NATO — lined up against a wall.

They delivered brief remarks, standing in front of the flags. They didn't answer questions. Reporters asked about Ukraine and Turkey.

STOLTENBERG:

Stoltenberg welcomed Biden to the summit and thanked him for his "strong leadership"

"This summit is already historic because the agreement we made yesterday will make Sweden a full member of NATO."

He said they would send a "strong message to Ukraine that we stand by them."

"Another major message of this summit will be that we need to invest more in our defense."

BIDEN:

"I think it's really important at this critical moment…that you continue to lead NATO. You're trusted," Biden told Stoltenberg.

"Your leadership really matters."

"We agree with the language you proposed relative to the future of Ukraine joining NATO."

He also repeated his line that Putin thought he could break NATO, but didn't succeed.

Travel pool report #10 — Biden meeting with congressional delegation

From the White House

The President is greeting the U.S. Congressional Delegation.

Participants
Senator Richard Durbin (IL)
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
Senator Angus King (ME)
Senator Dan Sullivan (AK)
Senator Thom Tillis (NC)
Senator Pete Ricketts (NE)

Travel pool report #11 — fuller Biden quotes

Here are fuller quotes from Biden's comments with Stoltenberg, care of co-pooler Zolan Kanno-Youngs, who has been a huge help all day.

"I think it's really important at this critical moment in Ukraine and the whole NATO issue, that you continue to lead NATO. You're trusted; no one knows the situation that we're facing better than you do. And this is a historic moment. Adding Finland and Sweden to NATO is consequential. And your leadership really matters. And we agree on the language that you propose, relative to the future of Ukraine being able to join NATO. And we're looking for a continued united NATO. ...I still think that President Putin thinks the way he succeeds is to break NATO and we're not going to do that."

Travel pool report #12 — family photo

At 2:04, an announcer introduced POTUS, who walked on stage and posed for photos flanked by Stoltenberg and the Lithuanian president. He shook hands with the men and then stood between them, posing with his hands at his side. He could be seen talking to both men, but we were too far away to hear what they were saying.

A moment later, they all left the stage.

Earlier, the other NATO leaders did the same thing, posing with the two men one at a time. After the other leaders were introduced, there was a 10-minute pause in which Stoltenberg and the Lithuanian president left the stage. They later returned and Biden was announced.

Throughout, the world leaders who weren't on stage could be heard talking and laughing in the wings.

The three-person photos went ahead without anything unusual occurring, though Erdogan paused longer than many of the other leaders to shake hands with Stoltenberg and Lithuania's president.

The photos are taking place in a cavernous room flanked by large blue curtains at the summit site. The leaders posed on a stage covered in blue carpet with three tiers. Behind them, insignias for the summit are plastered on the wall.

Travel pool report #12 — family photo part 2

At 2:06, all the world leaders returned to the stage for a group photo.

POTUS stood in the middle of the front row between Stoltenberg and British Prime Minister Sunak.

An announcer asked the leaders to pose for the cameras for eight seconds, which prompted some chuckles from the leaders. They left the stage a couple minutes later.

The White House sent this a few minutes ago:

The President is participating in an official greet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and President Gitanas Naus?da of Lithuania.

Travel pool report #13 — White House on family photo

From the White House on the family photo:

The President is taking a family photo with Allied Heads of State and Government and Sweden.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO
Gitanas Nauseda, President of Lithuania
Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania
Alexander De Cross, Prime Minister of Belgium
Nikolai Denkov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Zoran Milanovic, President of Croatia
Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic
Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark
Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia
Sauli Niinisto, President of Finland
Emmanuel Macron, President of France
Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece
Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary
Katrin Jakobsdottir, Prime Minister of Iceland
Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy
Krisjanis Karins, Prime Minister of Latvia
Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Jakov Milatovic, President of Montenegro
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Dimitar Kovachevski, Prime Minister of North Macedonia
Jonas Gahr Store, Prime Minister of Norway
Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal
Klaus Werner Iohannis, President of Romania
Zuzana Caputova, President of Slovakia
Robert Golob, Prime Minister of Slovenia
Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain
Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkiye
Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Travel pool report # 14 — North Atlantic Council meeting

The president at 2:14 PM entered the meeting of the North Atlantic Council with heads of state, as well as Sweden.

The meeting is in the Lithuanian exhibition and conference center.

His secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, and NATO secretary general Stoltenberg entered minutes beforehand. Turkey president Erdogan also entered just before Biden and went straight to his seat. Your pooler did not see Erdo?an or Biden cross paths or interact.

When Biden walked in he briefly chatted with the president of Lithuania and Stoltenberg before taking his seat. An staffer leaned over to whisper to Biden as other leaders took their seats. Prime Minister Sunak was seated to the right of Biden. Erdogan was to the right of Sunak. Sunak could be seen briefly speaking to Erdo?an with the help of a translator.

Every leader was in their seat as of 2:17 PM.

Sunak and Biden were seen smiling and chatting as the meeting began.

When Stoltenberg mentioned Finland recently joined NATO, Biden clapped enthusiastically. Stoltenberg then said Sweden would soon also join NATO and Biden pumped his fist and clapped.

"This will bring Ukraine closer to NATO," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg said it was his "great pleasure to welcome you all."

He said unity and solidarity "are irreplaceable pillars of our success."

Stoltenberg asked the media to leave at 2:21 PM. Biden could be seen speaking again to Sunak as we left the room.

Travel pool report #15 — gathering for Erdogan bilat

Heads up that the pool is now gathering for the Biden-Erdogan bilat

More soon

Travel pool report #16 — US-Turkey bilat

The pool was brought into the Biden-Erdogan bilat at 6:20. Neither leader took questions.

Biden:

"It's good to see you again."

Called the summit a "Historic meeting"

"I want to thank you for your diplomacy and your courage to take that on. And I want to thank you for your leadership"

Erdogan, through a translator:

Within the framework of our strategic…

"I believe today's meeting with you on the margin of the nato summit is the first step."

"Our meetings prior to this were mere warmups."

"This new process is a process of five years and now you are getting prepared for the upcoming elections. And now I will take this opportunity to wish you the best of luck."

Biden laughed. "Well thank you very much. Look forward to meeting you in the next five years."

Pool was then rushed out of the room. Biden did not answer questions about Zelensky and Ukraine.

Travel pool report #17 — more Erdogan

Here's Erdogan's full comments, as translated:

"Mr. president, my dear friend, I would like to first of all thank you for congratulating me in the aftermath of my reelection to my current post and I'm grateful for the congratulatory messages that you have extended to me

"And within the framework of our strategic mechanism, I think it's high time for the heads of state to get together for further consultations."

"That's why I believe today's meeting with you within the margin of the NATO summit is the first step forward. Our meetings prior to this were mere warmups. But now we are initiating a new process. This new process is a process of five years and now you are getting prepared for the forthcoming elections. And with the forthcoming elections, I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you the best of luck"

Biden, chuckling: "Thank you. I look forward to meeting with you in the next five years."

Pool is now holding in vans

Travel pool report #18 — meeting manifest

From the White House:

The President is participating in a bilateral meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an of Turkiye.

U.S. Manifest
The President
T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
T.H. Amanda Sloat, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe, National Security Council
T.H. Dereck Hogan, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Ms. Melissa Hanlon, Director for Western European Affairs, National Security Council

Turkiye Manifest
H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, President of the Republic of Turkey
H.E. Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs
H.E. Yasar Güler, Minister of National Defense
Mr. Ibrahim Kalin, Head of National Intelligence
Mr. Haluk Görgün, Chairman of Presidency Defense Industries Directorate
Mr. Fahrettin Altun, Chairman of Presidency Communications Directorate
Mr. Akif Çagatay Kilic, Chief Advisor
Mr. Zafer Çubukcu, Chief of Cabinet

Travel pool report #19 — rolling

At 7:37 pm, the motorcade was moving. We didn't see POTUS enter the beast.

Travel pool report #20 — arrival at RON

The motorcade arrived the RON hotel at 7:50 pm. We didn't see potus.

Along the way, we passed hundreds of onlookers, many holding Ukrainian flags. We also passed by the outdoor concert stage where Zelensky just addressed a crowd of thousands. Onlookers waved the Ukrainian flags and snapped photos.

Biden is not attending tonight's dinner with NATO leaders. Asked why he is skipping it, a US official said the president has had four full days of official business and is preparing for a big speech tomorrow in addition to another day at the summit.

Travel pool report #21 — lid

The White House called a lid at 7:53 pm

Thanks to the NYT's Zolan Kanno-Youngs and the rest of the pool for their help today.

Travel pool report #22 — correction

I mistyped my feed from the US official. It should say that Biden HAS four days of official business, not HAD. He has only been in Europe since Sunday night.

See corrected version:

Biden is not attending tonight's dinner with NATO leaders. Asked why he is skipping it, a US official said the president has four full days of official business and is preparing for a big speech tomorrow in addition to another day at the summit.

Also, I'm told by a U.S. official that Blinken will attend the dinner.

Travel pool report #23 — Biden calls govs

A post-lid update from the White House:

President Biden spoke by phone individually with Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders, and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell this evening from Vilnius, Lithuania about his commitment to deliver federal assistance needed to help respond to severe flooding across Vermont. Last night, President Biden approved an Emergency Declaration for Vermont, and the White House has been coordinating with state and local officials as well as monitoring the impacts of the flooding. FEMA and other federal personnel have also been mobilized and are working closely with state and local agencies.