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WASHINGTON — NATO will roll out "concrete ways" to accelerate Ukraine’s eventual membership in the Atlantic alliance during a summit next week in Washington, according to a senior U.S. official. Summit organizers are understood to be leaning toward language in a final declaration that would say Ukraine’s path to NATO is “irreversible,” but the official would say only that the wording is still being negotiated. Douglas Jones, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, told VOA during an interview on Tuesday that foreign ministers from 35 non-NATO member partners are invited to attend the Washington summit. Notable attendees include the foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. For the third consecutive summit, heads of state from all 32 NATO allies will engage in discussions with leaders from its Indo-Pacific partners: Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. Building the resilience of allies to confront threats and challenges from China is among the key agenda items, said Jones. But, he added, a proposal to establish a NATO liaison office in Tokyo, intended as a hub for cooperation with Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, is currently "not under active discussion." In celebration of NATO’s 75th anniversary, more than two dozen influencers have been invited to observe the proceedings and create social media content to commemorate the milestone. The following excerpts from the interview have been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Kyiv on Tuesday and urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a cease-fire with Russia. Are you concerned that this shows a divide in NATO? What is the U.S. perspective on Orban’s visit to Ukraine? Douglas Jones, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs:  It's good that Prime Minister Orban visited Ukraine. On the idea of a cease-fire, these decisions are for Ukraine to make. We've always said, “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” It is up to Ukraine to decide when it's time to discuss a cease-fire and what the terms of any peace settlement might be. VOA: Moving on to NATO: What are the key items on the agenda? Are the foreign ministers of Israel and several Arab countries invited to the NATO summit? Jones: We will be talking about the state of NATO. This summit is really about the future, about how NATO continues to transform and adapt itself to meet future challenges. Whether that's supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, working with partners to build the resilience of allies to confront the threats and challenges from the People’s Republic of China, or addressing hybrid and cyber threats, these are all issues that we'll be focusing on at the summit. NATO has a broad network of partnerships. There are 35 countries around the world that have a formal partnership relationship with NATO. They will all be invited at the level of foreign ministers to attend, including Israel and many countries in the Middle East. VOA: Zelenskyy is expected to attend next week's NATO summit. Does the U.S. view Ukraine's path to NATO membership as irreversible? Are the U.S. and its allies working to incorporate such language into NATO's joint statement? Jones: The United States and all NATO allies have said that Ukraine's future is in NATO. At this summit, we will be rolling out concrete ways in which NATO can help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression, build the future force needed to deter Russia, and implement the reforms it needs to make itself a stronger candidate for eventual NATO membership. Together, this is what we describe as a bridge to NATO membership. The assistance that we're going to be rolling out at the summit will really help accelerate Ukraine on its path to NATO membership. VOA: And such a bridge is irreversible? Jones: The wording of the declaration is still under negotiation by NATO allies. The alliance has already said that Ukraine will become a member of NATO. VOA: Regarding NATO’s Indo-Pacific strategy, could you give us an update on the plan to open a NATO liaison office in Tokyo? Jones: So, at the summit, the outcome with the Indo-Pacific partners is that all the heads of state and governments of NATO's Indo-Pacific partners — Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand — will be present. There are only three main meetings of the summit, and one of them will be when the heads of state of all 32 NATO allies meet with these Indo-Pacific partners. This is going to be the third summit in a row where this has happened. And the reason for that is because allies are increasingly recognizing that there are links between security in the Euro-Atlantic space and in the Indo-Pacific. Ukraine is the No. 1 example where you have the biggest threat to transatlantic security, with Russia being fueled by assistance from China and the DPRK. VOA: Is there going to be a NATO office in Tokyo, or has such a plan been postponed indefinitely? Jones: It's not under active discussion currently within the alliance. VOA: What can we expect from the NATO summit regarding the implications of the Russia-North Korea mutual defense pact? Jones: Russia is seeking weapons from the DPRK as it looks for ways to continue its assault and aggression against Ukraine. The connections are deep. That's why we'll have the leaders of NATO's Indo-Pacific partners at the summit: to discuss how we can learn from each other and cooperate in addressing these common security challenges.

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Seoul, South Korea — The United States, Japan and South Korea last week held what in some ways could be seen as their most important joint military exercise ever — and an indication of enhanced future cooperation. The inaugural Freedom Edge drill involved a U.S. aircraft carrier and multiple Japanese and South Korean ships and planes, mirroring other recent trilateral exercises held since the three countries intensified defense cooperation. But, importantly, this drill for the first time took place across multiple domains, including land, sea, air and cyber — a crucial step toward allowing the countries’ militaries to work together more seamlessly and in a wider range of warfighting scenarios. The drill reflects a bigger effort by Washington, Seoul and Tokyo, which are trying to advance cooperation toward a more formalized stage that will be harder for future leaders to overturn. In recent months, the three countries have not only expanded the frequency of their engagement but also taken steps to ensure that it lasts — an attempt to solidify a partnership that could reshape northeast Asian geopolitics. The steps include establishing a regular pattern of joint military exercises, activating a channel for sharing real-time data on North Korean missile launches, and exploring the creation of a permanent office to boost coordination. During meetings among senior officials, the countries have also increasingly emphasized shared values for the region, such as a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” in the hopes of providing a more durable foundation for cooperation. The moves attempt to fulfill the vision laid out in August, when U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held the first standalone summit among the leaders of the three countries. South Korea key A primary goal of the so-called Camp David summit was to create a framework for collaboration that could withstand domestic political fluctuations in each country. A major concern was South Korea, where commitment to the trilateral partnership has often wavered. Those efforts appear to be yielding progress, according to a growing number of South Korea-based observers. “Cooperation is now entering a level of institutionalization that will make it considerably more difficult for future administrations in Seoul to change,” said Jeffrey Robertson, a professor of diplomatic studies at Seoul’s Yonsei University. The depth of trilateral ties has long hinged on whatever government is in power in South Korea. The South Korean left opposes closer cooperation with Japan without more steps by Tokyo to atone for atrocities committed during its 1910-1945 colonization of Korea. South Korea’s leaders also have been reluctant to sign up for any multilateral efforts that anger China, the military and economic giant that lies just beyond its border. Changing views South Korea’s outlook toward its neighbors, however, appears to be shifting. Opinion polls suggest that South Korean perceptions of China have declined precipitously, as Beijing becomes more authoritarian at home and more assertive in expanding its regional influence. Meanwhile, views on Japan appear to be improving, especially among young people. South Korea's national security establishment has also expressed growing fears about North Korea, which has rapidly expanded its nuclear arsenal and become much more hostile toward Seoul. For Yoon, a conservative who took office in 2022, the solution was to align his country more closely with the United States. Yoon also mended ties with Japan, quickly accelerating trilateral cooperation. Reasons for optimism The big question is whether Yoon's approach will outlast his presidency, given that his predecessor, the left-leaning Moon Jae-in, reversed many of the Japan-friendly policies of previous administrations. Peter Lee, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a conservative research group, says he is optimistic. Although he concedes that South Korean public attitudes toward Japan remain generally unfavorable, he points to opinion polls conducted by his organization suggesting consistently strong support for South Korean participation in U.S.-led multilateral initiatives. “This suggests that future ROK presidents will struggle to withdraw or terminate their participation in these partnerships, at least for populist purposes,” Lee said. Another potential deterrent is that each step toward formalizing trilateral engagement adds a layer of commitment, making it politically riskier for any future South Korean administration to reverse, many observers say. Not so fast Others think that Yoon’s policies are on much shakier ground. Moon Chung-in, a senior foreign affairs adviser in multiple left-leaning governments, rejected the notion of a permanent change in South Koreans’ views toward their neighbors. “Yoon and Biden do not see this. But Japanese political leaders are well aware of the volatility, and that’s why they are not making major concessions,” Moon said. Seoul-Tokyo ties can “easily degenerate,” Moon maintained, unless Japan takes further steps to address unresolved historical disputes. Many in South Korea also worry that enhanced trilateral cooperation could provoke a counter-reaction from U.S. foes in the region, ultimately leading to increased instability. As evidence, they cite last month’s decision by North Korea and Russia to restore a Cold War-era mutual defense treaty — a move both sides described as necessary to counter U.S. moves in Asia. If the regional security dilemma worsens, some fear that China could eventually respond by enhancing its own security cooperation with North Korea and Russia. For many South Korean liberals, the best way to avoid such a scenario with China is to take a more cautious approach to Japan and the United States. “China is near and powerful,” Moon said. “What other options do we have but to maintain good relations? This is common sense.”

It's being called one of the most critical elections in American history. President Joe Biden faces former President Donald Trump in a rematch. We bring you reactions from the first 2024 Presidential debate and what a second term could mean for the U.S. and the world. This week on The Inside Story: USA Votes 2024.

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We have implemented provisions in the USCIS Policy Manual that provide guidance on customer service and safe address procedures for individuals protected under 8 U.S.C. 1367.

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Between the southernmost tip of the United States and Cuba lies a body of water called the Florida Straits. Coast Guard vehicles patrol these waters daily, looking for migrants illegally trying to enter the U.S. VOA earlier this year got an exclusive flight with the U.S. Coast Guard on patrol. VOA’s Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti takes us along on the ride. (Camera and produced by: Mary Cieslak)

Russian shelling continues to degrade Ukraine’s energy system. Some parts of the country now have access to electricity for just a few hours a day. New generators aim to help supply residents with power and hot water. Tetiana Kukurika has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.

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Islamabad — The Taliban government in Afghanistan indicated Wednesday that it would consider releasing two U.S. prisoners in exchange for Afghans held in the United States. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, told reporters in Kabul that the idea of a prisoner release was discussed in his meeting with U.S. officials in Doha, Qatar this week, just as the two sides brought it up it in their previous meetings. “Afghanistan's conditions must be met. We have our citizens who are imprisoned in the U.S. and Guantanamo,” Mujahid stated. “We should free our prisoners in exchange for them. Just as their prisoners are important to America, Afghans are equally important to us,” he added. The spokesman did not share any details about Afghan detainees, including those being held at the U.S.-run Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. Mujahid spoke in the Afghan capital shortly after returning from Doha, where he led a Taliban delegation at a rare two-day U.N.-hosted meeting with international envoys on Afghanistan, which ended on Monday. U.S. officials also attended the U.N. conference in the Qatari capital. On Tuesday, a State Department spokesperson in Washington confirmed that U.S. special envoys on Afghanistan Thomas West and Rina Amiri met Taliban representatives in Doha. “So during these meetings, special representative West pressed for the immediate and unconditional release of U.S. citizens unjustly detained in Afghanistan, noting that these detentions impede progress in the Taliban’s own desire for international recognition,” Vedant Patel told reporters. The Taliban say the two Americans are among “several foreign nationals” currently imprisoned in Afghanistan for allegedly violating local immigration and other laws. U.S. officials and relatives have identified one of the detainees as Ryan Corbett, while the identity of the second person has not been disclosed. Corbett was taken into custody in August 2022, a year after the fundamentalist Taliban returned to power in Kabul following the withdrawal of U.S.-led Western troops after nearly 20 years of involvement in the Afghan war. Corbett’s family and U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly urged U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to do more to secure his safe and early release. Since his detention, Corbett has been able to call his wife and their three children. Corbett and his family had lived in Afghanistan for years before being evacuated during the August 2021 Taliban takeover. He ran and supervised humanitarian projects for nongovernmental organizations, focusing on health and education. Corbett returned to Afghanistan twice in 2022 and was detained by the Taliban on his second trip but has not been charged with any crimes, according to his family. Relatives and activists say a third U.S. national, Mahmood Habibi, is also among foreigners in custody, but the Taliban refuse to acknowledge that they are holding him. In March, a resolution was submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives calling for Habibi’s immediate release. The resolution, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, stated that Habibi was arrested in August 2022 outside his home while in the country for business. He was detained by the Taliban intelligence agency on suspicion of being involved in a U.S. drone strike that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the fugitive al-Qaida network chief, in Kabul. The Taliban protested the strike, saying it was a breach of the 2020 Doha agreement they signed with the U.S., which paved the way for Washington to withdraw from the longest U.S. war in history. The former insurgent group also pledged in line with the terms of the agreement not to harbor transnational militant groups, including al-Qaida, seeking to attack America and its allies. No country has recognized the Taliban government, citing human rights concerns and bans on Afghan women’s access to education and work. The U.N. meeting in Doha was aimed at increasing, facilitating, and coordinating the world’s engagement with the Taliban in the wake of deepening economic and humanitarian troubles facing war-torn, impoverished Afghanistan. The two-day session ended without the Taliban making any pledges to remove their restrictions on women or winning concessions from the international community. "Afghanistan cannot return to the international fold or fully develop economically and socially if it is deprived of the contributions and potential of half its population,” Rosemary DiCarlo, U.N. undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, told reporters at the end of the meeting on Monday. She presided over the gathering on behalf of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Mujahid, while speaking in Kabul Wednesday, reiterated that their rules about women are an internal Afghan matter and said foreign nations or organizations have nothing to do with it.

Tokyo — Japan's top court ruled on Wednesday that a defunct eugenics law under which thousands of people were forcibly sterilized between 1948 and 1996 was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court also declared that a 20-year statute of limitations could not be applied, paving the way for compensation claims from victims after years of legal battles. "For the state to evade responsibility for damages payments would be extremely unfair and unjust, and absolutely intolerable," the court in Tokyo said. Japan's government acknowledges that around 16,500 people were forcibly sterilized under the law that aimed to "prevent the generation of poor quality descendants." An additional 8,500 people were sterilized with their consent, although lawyers say even those cases were likely "de facto forced" because of the pressure individuals faced. A 1953 government notice said physical restraint, anesthesia and even "deception" could be used for the operations. "There are people who couldn't be here today. There are those who died as well. I want to visit the grave of my parents and tell them we've won," victim Saburo Kita, who uses a pseudonym, told reporters after the ruling. Kita was convinced to undergo a vasectomy when he was 14 at a facility housing troubled children. He only told his wife what had happened shortly before she died in 2013. "But a complete resolution of this issue hasn't been realized yet. Together with lawyers, I will continue to fight," said Kita, one of several victims who celebrated outside the court, some in wheelchairs. Apology The number of operations in Japan slowed to a trickle in the 1980s and 1990s before the law was scrapped in 1996. That dark history was thrust back under the spotlight in 2018 when a woman in her 60s sued the government over a procedure she had undergone at age 15, opening the floodgates for similar lawsuits. The government, for its part, "wholeheartedly" apologized after legislation was passed in 2019 stipulating a lump-sum payment of 3.2 million yen (around $20,000 today) per victim. However, survivors say that was too little to match the severity of their suffering and took their fight to court. Regional courts have mostly agreed in recent years that the eugenics law was a violation of Japan's constitution. However, judges have been divided on whether claims are valid beyond the 20-year statute of limitations. Some ordered the state to pay damages but others dismissed cases, saying the window for pursuing damages had closed. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government would "swiftly pay damages based on the finalized ruling" and discuss "the new ways in which (victims) can be compensated." The government "sincerely apologizes" for the policy that "trampled on the human dignity" of victims, Kishida said, adding he would meet survivors in coming weeks to listen "face-to-face to their stories of suffering." A group of victims said on Wednesday it "wholeheartedly" welcomed the ruling. "We cannot forgive the irresponsibility of the government and its lack of human rights awareness, as well as the fact that what is now described as the biggest human rights violation in Japan's post-war history was left unaddressed for such a long time," the group said in a statement. Lawyer Koji Niizato said it was "the best ruling we could have hoped for." "Victims of the eugenics law put up a wonderful fight, one that influenced the Supreme Court and changed society," Niizato said.

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Astana — Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping are due to meet on Wednesday at a summit of a Eurasian security and defense club seen by Moscow and Beijing as an instrument to counter the influence of the United States and its allies. Putin and the Chinese president have expanded the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a club founded in 2001 with Russia, China and Central Asian powers, to include India, Iran and Pakistan as a counterweight to the West. Putin will hold a series of bilateral meetings on Wednesday on the sidelines of the July 3-4 SCO summit in the Kazakh capital, Astana, the Kremlin said. He is due to meet Xi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and the leaders of Azerbaijan, Mongolia and Pakistan before an informal dinner hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. India said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected in Moscow later this month, will not attend. He is sending Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar instead. Russia and China regard the SCO, which promotes common approaches to external security threats such as drug trafficking and focuses on countering any domestic instability, as a means to project their influence across Asia. "The leaders of the SCO member countries will discuss the current state and prospects for further deepening multifaceted cooperation within the organization and improving its activities," the Kremlin said in a statement. At last year's virtual summit, the group issued a statement critical of what it called the negative impact of "unilateral and unlimited expansion of global missile defense systems by certain countries or groups of countries", without directly referring to NATO expansion and Western military assistance to Ukraine. 'No limits’ partnership China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing, days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Since then, Xi and Putin have deepened their partnership. Xi and Putin believe the U.S.-dominated post-Cold War era is crumbling.  The United States casts China as its biggest competitor and Russia as its biggest nation-state threat. U.S. President Joe Biden says this century will be defined by an existential contest between democracies and autocracies. The U.S. views Xi and Putin as authoritarian rulers who have quashed free speech and exerted tight control at home over the media and courts. Biden has referred to Xi as a "dictator" and said Putin is a "killer" and a "crazy SOB." Beijing and Moscow have scolded Biden over the comments. The SCO traces its history back to 1996 when its forerunner was founded as a way to coordinate efforts against external threats such as drug trafficking and has traditionally focused on combating any internal instability. Belarus will attend the summit for the first time as a full member of the organization, the Kremlin said. Other states engage in discussions with the group including Bahrain, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected in Astana for the summit. 

Paris — The far-right National Rally (RN) is the only party capable of winning an absolute majority in France's legislative elections, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Wednesday, urging voters to block their rise to power.   Attal admitted four days ahead of the polls that many French voters would have to hold their nose and vote for parties that they do not support in order to take control of the government.    The RN dominated the first round of polls, presenting the party of Marine Le Pen with the prospect of forming the government and her protege Jordan Bardella, 28, taking the post of premier in a tense "cohabitation" with President Emmanuel Macron.    But over 200 candidates from the left and the center this week dropped out of three-way races in the second round of the contest, sacrificing their hopes to prevent the RN winning the seat.    "There is one bloc that is able to have an absolute majority (in the National Assembly) and it's the extreme right," Attal told France Inter radio.    "On Sunday evening, what's at stake in the second round is to do everything so that the extreme right does not have an absolute majority," he added.    "It is not nice for some French to have to block... by using a vote that they did not want to," he said.   "I say it's our responsibility to do this," he added.     An absolute majority of 289 seats is needed in the 577 seat National Assembly for a party to form a government on its own. But Le Pen has said that the RN will try if it gets any more than 270 seats by winning over other deputies.    "At the end of this second round, either power will be in the hands of a far-right government, or power will be in parliament. I am fighting for this second scenario," said Attal.    One option that is the subject of increasing media attention is the possibility that rather than a far-right government France could be ruled by a broad coalition of pro-Macron centrists, the traditional right, Socialists and Greens.    But Attal was non-committal: "I did not speak about a coalition. I do not want to impose on the French a coalition that they did not choose."    Former prime minister Edouard Philippe, still an influential voice in the pro-Macron camp, told TF1 TV in his constituency on Sunday he would be voting for a Communist candidate to stop the far right.    He said that after the election he would support a new parliamentary majority that could span "conservative right to the social democrats" but not include the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI).