Washington (AFP) - Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the US delegation at this month's Munich Security Conference, a major annual gathering that this year will unfold against the backdrop of a NATO-Russia face-off over Ukraine, the White House said Wednesday.
The trip, announced by White House Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, will put Harris under an intense spotlight a year after becoming the first Black and Asian person and the first woman sworn in as US vice president.
The Munich conference, which typically draws major world political, non-governmental, business and academic leaders, will likely be dominated by discussion over Russia's massive military deployment on the border of Ukraine, as part of a bid to prevent the country from ever joining NATO and to create a wider Russian sphere of influence.
Singh said Harris will be building on US "engagement with European allies and partners" to push back against Moscow.
"The vice president's engagements in Munich will demonstrate our ironclad commitment to our NATO Allies, reaffirm our shared interest in upholding the principles that have underpinned European peace and security since World War II, and underscore our commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Singh said.
The Munich conference runs from February 18-20.Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending, the Kremlin says.
