Biden to designate Colombia a major non-NATO ally

President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he intends to designate Colombia as a major non-NATO ally, a step that will provide the Latin American nation with certain benefits in the areas of defense, trade and security cooperation.

Major non-NATO ally is a designation under U.S. law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense, trade and security cooperation, according to the State Department, and is a symbol of the close ties the U.S. shares with such countries.

However, these countries are not entitled to the same security guarantees as full-fledged members of the NATO alliance, as NATO member countries are not obligated to defend a major non-NATO ally that comes under attack.

The bilateral meeting Thursday was a chance for Biden to affirm the interests that the U.S. and Colombia share after the Russian military operation.