Mr. Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), confirmed during a meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington on June 17 that spending among Canada and European member nations has increased by 18 percent—the largest increase in decades. This increase comes as more than 20 of the 32 member nations have committed to meeting their spending goal of at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. President Biden noted that the number of member nations committing to this goal has doubled since he took office.
Before the recent increase in spending, only six nations were meeting the 2 percent goal. This change came after former President Donald Trump criticized NATO countries for not meeting their defense spending obligations and threatened not to defend alliance members who did not pay their agreed-upon share.
Following their meeting, Mr. Stoltenberg and President Biden spoke to the press about the forthcoming NATO Summit, which will mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary. At the summit, decisions will be made regarding further increasing defense spending and taking a leading role in providing security assistance and military training for Ukraine.
Mr. Stoltenberg also expressed his expectation for more funding for Ukraine to come from Canada and European allies at the summit. He anticipates that NATO will take on a lead role in providing security assistance and training for Ukraine, with logistical support and capabilities being set up at a U.S. facility in Germany.
In addition to discussing defense spending and support for Ukraine, Mr. Stoltenberg also addressed nuclear transparency and modernization within NATO. He mentioned talks about deploying more nuclear weapons in response to threats from Russia and China and emphasized the need for modernizing defense systems.
Overall, Mr. Stoltenberg’s visit to North America included meetings with various U.S. officials, as well as a planned visit to Ottawa, Canada, to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. His discussions focused on strengthening NATO’s defense capabilities, supporting Ukraine, and enhancing cooperation among member nations. Mike Turner, a Republican from Ohio, and Gerry Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, were mentioned in this report. Additional contributions were made by Andrew Thornebrooke, Reuters, and The Associated Press.
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