Secretary General Welcomes US President To NATO Summit

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed US President Joe Biden to the NATO Summit in Madrid on Wednesday (29 June 2022). The Secretary General thanked President Biden for his “decisive leadership in strengthening the transatlantic bond” during Russia’s war on Ukraine, demonstrated by the President’s announcement to further increase US presence in Europe.

Mr Stoltenberg also thanked President Biden for the “unwavering support” provided by the United States to Ukraine, and said he looked forward to a historic and transformative summit.

“We’re going to approve a new NATO Strategic Concept and reaffirm the unity and determination of our Alliance to defend every inch of NATO territory,” Biden said. “And Article Five is sacrosanct. We mean it when we say “an attack against one is an attack against all”, every inch. And so, at this Summit, the full Alliance is going to welcome Finland and Sweden.”

Biden added that, “An historic application for membership and their decision to move away from neutrality, tradition of neutrality, to join the NATO Alliance. This is going to make us stronger and more secure, and NATO, stronger.”