Obama sets state dinner table for six at unusual Nordic summitWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is set to toast the five leaders of Nordic nations at a lavish state dinner at the White House on Friday, an unusual summit aimed in part at sending a message to a nation not on the guest list: Russia. Obama will laud the humanitarian and environmental accomplishments of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland, but also wants to talk about how to deal with their increasingly aggressive neighbor Russia ahead of a NATO summit in July. “We share the concern of countries in the region, particularly those who have a border with Russia, about the increasing presence of Russian military assets in the area,” said Charles Kupchan, Obama’s senior director for European affairs. “We will be discussing ways to enhance the security of the region, writ large, and also what we can do through dialogue and diplomacy to urge Russia to be more transparent and to be more restrained and careful in its military exercises,” Kupchan told reporters. Obama last met Nordic leaders in Stockholm in 2013 on his way to a G20 summit in St. Petersburg after canceling a planned bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin because of tensions over Syria and surveillance issues. Since then, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region, prompting Nordic nations to step up their military cooperation and the United States to boost military spending to help NATO do more to try to deter Russia. During a recent visit to Europe, Obama sought to reassure allies about the U.S. commitment to the continent, but pushed nations to increase their defense spending and stay united amid the strain of dealing with an influx of migrants fleeing Middle East conflicts. The leaders will discuss a long-term approach for dealing with refugees, Kupchan said, as well as new contributions to the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. He declined comment on specific commitments from the meeting. Typically, the White House rolls out the red carpet for one leader at a time. Friday will be a bit trickier, juggling five guests of honor and their entourages. The state dinner itself will be in a large tent with a transparent ceiling evoking the northern lights and “shadowy spaces in the arctic night,” the White House told reporters. Guests will sit at long, rustic wooden tables bedecked with columns of ice, fiddlehead ferns, and fragrant hand-rolled beeswax candles, and dine on braised Nebraska beef short ribs and salt-cured Atlantic ahi tuna served in a large ice cube.  The summit is expected to be heavy on “feel-good” messages about the outsized role Nordic nations play in international diplomacy, said Julie Smith, a former Obama administration official now with the Center for a New American Security. “In many ways, the actual visit is the deliverable,” Smith said, noting it was unlikely major new initiatives would emerge. “We’re at the end of the president’s tenure so there are limits on what new things he can drive forward,” Smith said. In Washington, preparations for the leaders’ arrival have been overshadowed by a visit by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to meet with congressional leaders as the race intensifies to replace Obama in the White House in the Nov. 8 election. Trump has said NATO is obsolete and European nations should look after their own defense, which has sparked concern among Nordic nations, said Heather Conley, a former State Department official in the George W. Bush administration. “They hear with great clarity the statements of Donald Trump and they don’t know exactly how this is going to work in November,” said Conley, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg plans to stress the importance of American participation in NATO for Nordic nations, she said in an interview this week with the Norwegian daily Aftenposten. “With an unpredictable Russian presence in the northern areas, it’s important that the Americans have a focus on the Arctic regions,” Solberg said. politicsNews
obama sets state dinner table six unusual nordic summitwashington reuters president barack obama set toast five leaders nordic nations lavish state dinner white house friday unusual summit aimed part sending message nation guest list russia obama land humanitarian environmental accomplishments sweden denmark finland norway iceland also wants talk deal increasingly aggressive neighbor russia ahead nato summit july we share concern countries region particularly border russia increasing presence russian military assets area said charles kupchan obama senior director european affairs we discussing ways enhance security region writ large also dialogue diplomacy urge russia transparent restrained careful military exercises kupchan told reporters obama last met nordic leaders stockholm way summit petersburg cancelling planned bilateral meeting russian president vladimir putin tensions syria surveillance issues since russia annexed ukraine crimea region prompting nordic nations step military cooperation united states boost military spending help nato try deter russia during recent visit europe obama sought reassure allies commitment continent pushed nations increase defense spending stay united amid strain dealing influx migrants fleeing middle east conflicts the leaders discuss approach dealing refugees kupchan said well new contributions fight islamic state militants syria iraq he declined comment specific commitments meeting typically white house rolls red carpet one leader time friday bit tracker juggling five guests honor encourages the state dinner large tent transparent ceiling evoking northern lights shadowy spaces arctic night white house told reporters guests sit long rustic wooden tables bedecked columns ice fiddlehead ferns fragrant beeswax candles dine raised nebraska beef short ribs atlantic hi tuna served large ice cube the summit expected heavy messages outside role nordic nations play international diplomacy said julie smith former obama administration official center new american security in many ways actual visit deliverable smith said noting unlikely major new initiatives would emerge we end president tenure limits new things drive forward smith said in washington preparations leaders arrival overshadowed visit presumptive republican presidential nominee donald trump meet congressional leaders race intensifies replace obama white house election trump said nato obsolete european nations look defense sparked concern among nordic nations said heather convey former state department official george bush administration they hear great clarity statements donald trump know exactly going work november said convey center strategic international studies norway prime minister era solver plans stress importance american participation nato nordic nations said interview week norwegian daily aftenposten with unpredictable russian presence northern areas important americans focus arctic regions solver said politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Obama sets state dinner table for six at unusual Nordic summitWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is set to toast the five leaders of Nordic nations at a lavish state dinner at the White House on Friday, an unusual summit aimed in part at sending a message to a nation not on the guest list: Russia. Obama will laud the humanitarian and environmental accomplishments of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland, but also wants to talk about how to deal with their increasingly aggressive neighbor Russia ahead of a NATO summit in July. “We share the concern of countries in the region, particularly those who have a border with Russia, about the increasing presence of Russian military assets in the area,” said Charles Kupchan, Obama’s senior director for European affairs. “We will be discussing ways to enhance the security of the region, writ large, and also what we can do through dialogue and diplomacy to urge Russia to be more transparent and to be more restrained and careful in its military exercises,” Kupchan told reporters. Obama last met Nordic leaders in Stockholm in 2013 on his way to a G20 summit in St. Petersburg after canceling a planned bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin because of tensions over Syria and surveillance issues. Since then, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region, prompting Nordic nations to step up their military cooperation and the United States to boost military spending to help NATO do more to try to deter Russia. During a recent visit to Europe, Obama sought to reassure allies about the U.S. commitment to the continent, but pushed nations to increase their defense spending and stay united amid the strain of dealing with an influx of migrants fleeing Middle East conflicts. The leaders will discuss a long-term approach for dealing with refugees, Kupchan said, as well as new contributions to the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. He declined comment on specific commitments from the meeting. Typically, the White House rolls out the red carpet for one leader at a time. Friday will be a bit trickier, juggling five guests of honor and their entourages. The state dinner itself will be in a large tent with a transparent ceiling evoking the northern lights and “shadowy spaces in the arctic night,” the White House told reporters. Guests will sit at long, rustic wooden tables bedecked with columns of ice, fiddlehead ferns, and fragrant hand-rolled beeswax candles, and dine on braised Nebraska beef short ribs and salt-cured Atlantic ahi tuna served in a large ice cube.  The summit is expected to be heavy on “feel-good” messages about the outsized role Nordic nations play in international diplomacy, said Julie Smith, a former Obama administration official now with the Center for a New American Security. “In many ways, the actual visit is the deliverable,” Smith said, noting it was unlikely major new initiatives would emerge. “We’re at the end of the president’s tenure so there are limits on what new things he can drive forward,” Smith said. In Washington, preparations for the leaders’ arrival have been overshadowed by a visit by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to meet with congressional leaders as the race intensifies to replace Obama in the White House in the Nov. 8 election. Trump has said NATO is obsolete and European nations should look after their own defense, which has sparked concern among Nordic nations, said Heather Conley, a former State Department official in the George W. Bush administration. “They hear with great clarity the statements of Donald Trump and they don’t know exactly how this is going to work in November,” said Conley, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg plans to stress the importance of American participation in NATO for Nordic nations, she said in an interview this week with the Norwegian daily Aftenposten. “With an unpredictable Russian presence in the northern areas, it’s important that the Americans have a focus on the Arctic regions,” Solberg said. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: obama sets state dinner table six unusual nordic summitwashington reuters president barack obama set toast five leaders nordic nations lavish state dinner white house friday unusual summit aimed part sending message nation guest list russia obama land humanitarian environmental accomplishments sweden denmark finland norway iceland also wants talk deal increasingly aggressive neighbor russia ahead nato summit july we share concern countries region particularly border russia increasing presence russian military assets area said charles kupchan obama senior director european affairs we discussing ways enhance security region writ large also dialogue diplomacy urge russia transparent restrained careful military exercises kupchan told reporters obama last met nordic leaders stockholm way summit petersburg cancelling planned bilateral meeting russian president vladimir putin tensions syria surveillance issues since russia annexed ukraine crimea region prompting nordic nations step military cooperation united states boost military spending help nato try deter russia during recent visit europe obama sought reassure allies commitment continent pushed nations increase defense spending stay united amid strain dealing influx migrants fleeing middle east conflicts the leaders discuss approach dealing refugees kupchan said well new contributions fight islamic state militants syria iraq he declined comment specific commitments meeting typically white house rolls red carpet one leader time friday bit tracker juggling five guests honor encourages the state dinner large tent transparent ceiling evoking northern lights shadowy spaces arctic night white house told reporters guests sit long rustic wooden tables bedecked columns ice fiddlehead ferns fragrant beeswax candles dine raised nebraska beef short ribs atlantic hi tuna served large ice cube the summit expected heavy messages outside role nordic nations play international diplomacy said julie smith former obama administration official center new american security in many ways actual visit deliverable smith said noting unlikely major new initiatives would emerge we end president tenure limits new things drive forward smith said in washington preparations leaders arrival overshadowed visit presumptive republican presidential nominee donald trump meet congressional leaders race intensifies replace obama white house election trump said nato obsolete european nations look defense sparked concern among nordic nations said heather convey former state department official george bush administration they hear great clarity statements donald trump know exactly going work november said convey center strategic international studies norway prime minister era solver plans stress importance american participation nato nordic nations said interview week norwegian daily aftenposten with unpredictable russian presence northern areas important americans focus arctic regions solver said politicsnews