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your passions, and the way you bring people together. life well planned. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news" >> hello, i'm lewis vaughan jones. you are watching "the context" on bbc news. >> this will help us train our soldiers faster and more efficiently, equip our brigades. >> i wanted to know that we will be with you every step of the way. >> we went through a huge number of issues at pace. he was in really good form. absolutely across all the details. >> just so hard for me to

imagine a man for a half years down the line from now particularly at a time that is so combative. lewis: welcome to the program. the u.s. president is due to face the cameras and the questions in just a couple hours. many will be watching and judging. we will look ahead to that at the nato summit itself, president zelenskyy is that centerstage in a commitmenthat f-16 fighter jets will be flying in ukraine the summer. our political editor chris mason sits down with prime minister keir starmer. we will pick through that in a bit. and artificial intelligence at wimbledon. we will explain in our regular segment ai decoded. we start in washington, and that nato summit of course.

expecting to hear from the u.s. president joe biden in just a couple hours from now at a press conference where he will face questions from u.s. and the world's press. it is being seen as a test for him and his performance, given what happened in the presidential debate a couple weeks ago. in the summit, it has been a busy day, ukraine still very much the focus. the u.s. president meeting with ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy, nato leaders also gathered for the council, reaffirming their support in the war against russia. we will have more on the specifics on that in a few minutes. all eyes really on joe biden, growing calls for the u.s. president to step aside from the presidential campaign. overnight, we saw the first democratic senator break ranks, writing in the wall street journal, the president should withdraw for the good of the country.

just as we came on air, more bad news for u.s. president joe biden. representative brad schneider announcing on thursday that joe biden should end his reelection bid, saying "the time has come, president biden, to heroically pass the torch to a new generation. he has enabled us and empowered us to pursue." but the u.s. president is finding support among world leaders. u.k. prime minister keir starmer met with joe biden's on the sidelines, as we saw. let's take a listen. >> we went through a huge number of issues at pace. he was showing really good form. absolutely across all the detail. working at pace through a number of issues which was really important to me. it was my first opportunity to have a bilateral like that. and he showed incredible leadership. lewis: similar sentiments from

the finnish president. >> i have absolutely no concerns about the current capacity of the president of the united states to lead his country and to lead our fight for ukraine, and to lead nato. this summit speaks volumes for that. lewis: outside politics, more big names calling for a change of the candidate. earlier this week, we heard from actor george clooney. today, michael douglas has voiced his concerns. >> it is a painful decision because i admire the man tremendously. i personally had a fundraiser for him at our house in april. i think he has done an incredible job but i am worried, not this week or next week, but let's say next year. it is so hard for me to imagine a man for an half years down the line from now, particularly at a time that is so combative, that

requires someone to be so articulate. lewis: our correspondent helena humphrey is following the summit in washington. just lay out for us if you will before we get to the details of the summit on joe biden, what exactly is expected to happen in a couple of hours? helena: he has a huge challenge ahead of him, doesn't he, lewis? in around three hours time, he will take to the stage for a solo press conference. he has not had one of these solo press conferences for around eight months amid some criticism that his staff have been essentially keeping him too far away from the press, from answering these kinds of unscripted questions. but he will have to face the press, and the eyes of the world essentially, watching him, judging him at a time where it is very difficult, it is fair to say, in politics, communications

campaigns to put the genie back in the bottle. some two weeks on from that criticism and by his own admission about that shaky performance on the debate stage against the former president donald trump. that shows you how high the stakes are, he cannot afford to put a foot wrong. in the words of senator welch from vermont, essentially, the problem is you cannot get people to unsee what they saw. that is what he is saying, the course of support of democrats are saying as they peel away their support. hakeem jeffries, the house minority leader for the democrats, saying on the hill, those congressional conversations between democrats are continuing, and they will continue until there is consensus. a few key things to perhaps watch for once this nato summit packs up and leaves. do we see a number of donors start to peel away? in american politics,

presidential campaigns are big money affairs. will the campaign lose any money? that could also be a very, very serious hit to the campaign. have there been any democrats holding fire, cognizant of the fact that the unit states here in washington, we are on the world stage here. nato wants to protect strength, so, too, is the united states. perhaps not the place to put out that criticism of president biden, called for him to step out of the race. friday will be a key day. as, too, will be monday when he has that sit down with nbc's lester holt. lewis: thank you for that. let's get into what could potentially happen. we are speaking with a democratic strategist with the former obama campaign.

we have heard in the last few minutes another voice coming out, asking for joe biden to step aside. where are you on this? >> we have not heard from voters. we have heard that nine out of 213 democratic congers people tried to push this president aside. let's be honest. millions of voters across america chose joe biden in the primary. this would be negating the votes of women, black voters, younger voters, people who saw the successes of joe biden, three and half years of a presidential success record that is unrivaled by anyone except fdr. we are talking historic job growth, infrastructure, ensuring our democracy is safe and formidable. we are talking his allegiances abroad, protection of ukraine, when it is facing russian opera -- aggression. a president who brought america back post-pandemic.

these are strong successes. those things matter to the american voter. lewis: i don't think anyone who is now questioning joe biden for the next four years is questioning any of those points. i'm sure some of those politicians that you just listed were very supportive of what he has done, but they are looking ahead to the next four years. that is a different issue, isn't it? >> they are looking at their districts. there are some that are tougher to win, so they are looking toward their districts that are not heavily democratically influenced, so they have to work harder to make sure they win their own races. they are checking their own situation at this point. joe biden understands the realities on the ground. yes, that was a tall mulch was and frankly really bad debate. but one and a half hours is not going to negate three and a half years of a very strong presidency, one that again brought america out of the pandemic, back from january 6, back from the crazy train that we were on during the trump

administration, one that has put equity first, created an economy that is the envy of the world. that is the joe biden legacy. that is a legacy that we want to see carried on into the next election cycle. lewis: this is two weeks now. how much longer can this go on before even people who hold your opinion have to say we cannot continue like this week after week with these continuing questions. we have to try and beat our opponent. >> we have something coming up next week called the republican national convention. president trump has not announced his running mate yet. the only reason he is picking one is because his maga mob, last january, try to have his running mate killed. we have to restructure the conversation about what america is up against. dona trump admitted to not even knowing what nato was before he was president, operating as a loan shark when it comes to nato, being mindful that he doesn't pay his own taxes and records.

we have to shift the media conversation to what america is up against, what the world is up against with another threat of a four years of ita dollar trump presidency. lewis: do you think that joe biden could be donald trump? >> absolutely. the polls have been wrong time and again. they counted him out in the midterms, in his own primaries in 2020. they counted him out multiple times during his own senate runs. the polls have always been wrong with the joe biden. we also know that again during the midterms they said there would be a red wave. we never saw that happen. democrats are not focusing on these polls this far out of the election cycle, the election is in novembe bowling months out has always proven inconsistent. it also undervalues people of color broadly. i'm not looking at the polls and saying this is a prognostication

of what is happening. they have been proven time and again to not be effective in showcasing actual voter preference. lewis: great to get your thoughts. thank you for coming on the program. let's take a look at that na summit now. what ukraine wants is nato membership. that has not happened here but signs point to a strengthening of support. some of the strongest language in the joint statement overnight declaring ukraine's future is in nato. 32 countries reaffirmed they would continue to support its path to full integration including nato membership. nato also agreed to launch a new program to provide a more reliable flow of arms and training to ukraine. an announcement from the u.s., first nato provided f-16 fighter jets would be in the hands of ukrainian military pilots by this summer.

the ukrainian president below number zelenskyy outlined how they plan to use it. >> this will help us train our soldiers faster and more efficiently, equip our brigades, develop our advanced courses more effectively. we have clear financial commitments already in our agreements, as the secretary said, $14 billion. it is crucial to maintain such support. all of this will help curb putin's appetite for aggression. lewis: let's speak now to the director of program for the center for strategic studies at the nato conference. thank you for coming on the program. that list we just heard there, the response from volodymyr zelenskyy, how happy do you think he will be? >> i think ukraine is quite

satisfied. at the summit last year, expectations were raised about a potential invitation to join nato. the biden administration made clear that the united states was not prepared to offer an invitation at the summit, made that very clear months ago, really wanted to focus this more on the actual military support that both united states and european and nato allies are providing. providing f-16s, air defense systems. and then these bilateral security agreements that have been reached with ukraine, i ink are very significant. ukraine comes out of these feeling like it has the backing of the nato alliance at least for now. lewis: ok. that is clearly relatively positive framing. what about any potential splits within nato, disagreements within nato? >> of course, you have the

hungarian prime minister victor ormonde, he did go to ukraine but also moscow and then beijing without any coordination with nato, other european countries. we are seeing a lot of blowback especially in europe against that. he is on his way to mar-a-lago didn't even request a meeting with the president to discuss anything that came out of his meetings which doesn't look like much came out of it. i think there is a degree of divisions but that has been there since the beginning of this war. what nato has demonstrated as well as the european union, is an ability to manage any discord within its ranks, really present a united front, ultimately in the communique, which was signed on by hungary and others, all 32 members, importantly also calls out china in a pathbreaking way. there has been a good show of

unity at what is the 75th birthday for nato. lewis: that last point, i want to zoomut. if we take an historical look at this, 75 years, wrapping up now, what is its place in the world? >> this is from an american perspective but it is not simply about alliances still existing after 75 years, there are organizations that still exist that are not as significant that have been around a long time. but what nato has facilitated is european integration, the formation of the european union, 27 member states as well as those on the outside, the u.k. and norway, to be a continent at peace. that doesn't include ukraine who is at war. in some ways, nato cementing the u.s. role in helping provide security for europe has been a tremendous success. we see that anytime anyone travels in the european union or

goes to estonia, the eastern flank. that is something that has to be celebrated. it is felt deeply among nato members, the security that the alliance has provided, has enabled something that we have never really experienced. europe being at peace. for millennia, that was not the case. that is a tremendous achievement, something really celebrated here at the 75th birthday of the alliance. lewis: interesting to take that bigger picture. thank you very much for coming on the program. around the world and across the u.k., this is bbc news.

lewis: this is bbc news. the prime minister keir starmer says that president biden was on really good form during his first face-to-face talks with u.s. president.

he said it was an opportunity to recommit the special relationship between the u.s. and the u.k.. sat down in washington with our political editor chris mason who have been following the prime minister on his first overseas trip. >> come with us into the oval office of the white house. focus in on the prime minister. is that an especially that says this is a pinterest health moment? hope you are ok, says his host, asking that very question of the president. yes, it is blunt, yes, it is personal. this white noise of questions at the start of their meeting of the bilateral were about his mental abilities, if he is really fit to run for reelection. so what did sir keir starmer make of him? chris: prime minister, you know what an increasing double --

number of people are saying, implying that president biden is senile. is he? p.m. starmer: no. we had a really good bilateral yesterday, went on for the good part of one hour. we went to a huge number of issues at pace. he was actually showing really good form. absolutely across all the details. we were going at pace through a number of issues which was really important to me because of easily it was my first opportunity to have a bilateral like that. and he showed incredible leadership. chris: george clooney suggesting he is not up to it. is that unfair? p.m. starmer: i could give me the readout of my meeting. he was on good form. chris: a meeting of the nato defense alliance is a reminder of the sacrifices made in war. this is the arlington national cemetery. at the summit, a key discussion have been about military funding in a dangerous world.

you have said that spending more on defense, up to 2.5% of national income, is ironclad. how clad in iron can it be when we have to wait this review about to begin? there is no timescale and then a judgment on whether it is a portable. is that ironclad? p.m. starmer: there is information that we were not to be too when in opposition that we are now privy to. the commitment is absolutely ironclad to that 2.5%. what i don't want to do is what has been done in the past, to set an arbitrary date without a pathway. we are serious about it. we want to make sure that it is within our fiscal rules but that we can show exactly how it will be delivered. chris: a week on from the general elections, sir keir starmer's first overseas trip is wrapping up, from the polling station to the white house balcony, it has been quite a week. lewis: england will face spain

in the euro 2024 final in berlin on sunday. a last-minute goal from ollie watkins sealed the 2-1 win over the netherlands. gareth southgate's side looked to be going into extra time but he scored in the 90th minute to the delight of fans across the country, as you can see. this is south london. setting up for the final against spain over the weekend. our reporter watched the game at a bar in south wind. >> it always starts out so civilized. a bit of facepainting, some vintage shirts, catching up with friends. then a man shows you his tattoo in an area that we cannot broadcast at the crack of dawn. >> nervous and excited at the same time. >> watching along were lewis and katie. they met exactly six years ago at the semifinals of the world cup.

so feelings on england and their anniversary? >> you send the starting lineup isn't good, but to be fair, you need to make some changes at the beginning. >> being in england than has not been easy at this tournament. >> it is just depressing. >> but that feeling didn't last long. england were soon on the attack. >> i feel like they have set up now. >> wild but potentially premature celebrations. >> they have not actually scored. that is just a penalty being awarded. the mood was upbeat at halftime. at least he finished the beer before throwing his point in the air. >> we were on top of the game, we dominated. we have not come out firing. >> but that didn't stop one man

from making an optimistic purchase. >> 70 minutes into the game and this man, what have you done? >> it is coming home. >> you have purchased hotel tickets? he was so certain of victory, he booked his trip to berlin for the finals. the only things being canceled were plans for sunday evening. [cheers] >> m soaked in beer. >> he was throwing it. >> it is coming home! >> guys, what did you make of that? >> that was incredible. >> we just have to get the ball

in the car and he did it. >> right around the country, manchester, sheffield, norwich, and in brixton -- if this is what gets to a final looks like, imagine the scenes if we actually win one. lewis: of course, england are through to the finals, partly down to their manager gareth southgate. it apprs he has a look-alike in the form of a police officer in dortmund. here is what happened when england fans spotted him before the match last night. [fans singing] >> ♪ south gate you are the one ♪

lewis: [laughter] the restraint on his behalf, very impressive. stay with us. all the sports coming up in just a couple minutes. we will also take a look at the world of artificial intelligence, and wimbledon. i am lewis vaughan jones. this is bbc announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: "usa today" calls it, "arguably the best bargain in streaming." that's because the free pbs app lets you watch the best of pbs anytime, anywhere.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... woman: a successful business owner sells his company and restores his father's historic jazz club with his son. a raymond james financial advisor get to know you,