The White House is defending President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy from critics and allies who argue the administration is unduly judging other nations without addressing problems at home.

Biden has drawn criticism from countries that failed to score an invite for the Dec. 9-10 video conference, a decision-making process that the White House has been asked numerous times to explain. The Philippines received an invite while Singapore did not. Pakistan, but not Bangladesh, was invited. And while the White House called upon the governments of Colombia, India, and Brazil to join, it did not do so with Bolivia, El Salvador, and others.