Biden affirms at the opening of the Quad summit that we are in a "dark hour" due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine

"It is extremely important to unite," said the Japanese prime minister on the third month of war in Ukraine

The leaders will meet behind closed doors to discuss the challenges in the region amid tensions with Moscow.

MADRID, 24 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of the United States attended this Tuesday in Tokyo together with the leaders of India, Australia and Japan at the summit of the leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) and has affirmed that it is a "dark hour" in the "history shared" of nations.

"Russia's brutal and unprovoked war against Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe. Innocent civilians have been killed in the streets and millions of refugees are internally displaced and exiled. This is more than a European problem, it is a global problem," he said. Biden said in his opening speech, according to the US network CNN.

Established in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to coordinate humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the Quad is a regional association dedicated to promoting a common vision of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" through cooperative practice in various challenges.

Specifically, there are six working groups at the leadership level, on the response to COVID-19 and global health security, the climate or critical and emerging technologies, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, among other topics, according to a statement sent by the White House.

The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, was sworn in on Monday as Prime Minister of Australia, and hours later he attended the summit on behalf of Canberra, for which Biden has come to joke and has pointed out that nothing happens if his counterpart falls asleep

"My Government is committed to working with your countries and we are committed to the Quad," Albanese said, adding that from Canberra they seek to "build a stronger and more resilient Indo-Pacific region, through better energy, economic, cyber and better health and environment.

Albanese stressed to the summit leaders that the new Australian Executive will take ambitious action on climate change in line with the summit agenda. Specifically, Australia has a goal of reducing emissions by 43 percent by 2030, and staying on track to net zero by 2050.

"We had a change of government in Australia, but Australia's commitment to the Quad has not changed and will not change. And our commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its centrality has not changed either," he said, as collected the ABC chain.

Albanese has thus indicated that they have promised to focus more on Southeast Asia, including the appointment of a special envoy for the region and 470 million dollars (440 million euros) in additional foreign aid over the next four years.

The Australian Prime Minister has remarked that, with this, he seeks to deepen defense and maritime cooperation. "We will bring more energy and resources to secure our region as we enter a new and more complex phase in the strategic environment of the Pacific," he said.

For his part, the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, agreed with his US counterpart and indicated that "a situation has arisen that has shaken the international order based on the rule of law from scratch".

Kishida has underlined that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been carried out despite the principles established in the UN Charter. "Don't do the same thing in the Indo-Pacific region with a head-on challenge," she warned.

"Due to this difficult situation, it is extremely important for us to come together and show the international community a strong commitment to the solidarity of the four countries and the common vision of a 'free and open Indo-Pacific,'" he said.

In addition, Prime Minister Kishida, as reported by the NHK network, has pointed out that "cooperation that contributes to the resolution" of the challenges in the region, led by China and North Korea, is needed.

Modi and Biden will be the main protagonists of a meeting that will be "a continuation of the ongoing conversations on the different perspectives of the panorama in Ukraine", in the words of the American National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, who accompanies Biden on the trip.

The Indian government has maintained a cautious stance in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and opted, following China's line, for the path of dialogue instead of sanctions, an attitude that Biden came to describe at the time as a bit "shaky" .

For his part, and in the official announcement of his trip, Modi has limited himself to describing his visit in general terms, although he has shown himself willing to discuss with Washington "a greater consolidation of bilateral relations and dialogue on regional developments and problems contemporary globals.