Delivering opening remarks in Washington DC, Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO chief laid out the priorities of the anniversary meeting, saying members will “make decisions for our future security” and “strengthen our defence.”
He said that 23 allies now meet the target of spending two percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, “up from just three allies in 2014.”
He said that the bloc would “increase our support for Ukraine by establishing NATO coordination and the security assistance and training for Ukraine, and by ensuring sustained support for the long term.”
“Support to Ukraine is not charity,” he added.
He also said NATO members will “reinforce our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific to push against the growing alignment of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.”
Speaking after Stoltenberg was U.S President, Joe Biden.
The US President began by quoting one of his predecessors, Harry S. Truman, saying that NATO was created 75 years ago in the hope of creating a “shield against aggression and the fear of aggression.”
“For the past 75 years, countries have grown and prospered behind the NATO shield,” Biden stated.
He added, “Today, we’re stronger than we’ve ever been.”
Biden asserted that since he became President, NATO has doubled the number of battle groups in the eastern flank, and both Finland and Sweden have joined the alliance.
He noted that the number of allies spending at least 2% on defense has gone from nine to 23.
He added, “That’s not happened by chance, but by choice.”
Biden stated that NATO leaders, at a summit two years ago, launched a plan to modernise their deterrence and defence.
“Today, we have to ask ourselves, what is next? How can we keep making the shield stronger? One answer must be to strengthen our industrial base.”
Joe Biden
He hailed a pledge by NATO members to develop plans to boost their domestic defence production. He said that the move is needed to avoid falling behind Russia.
Russia On A Wartime Footing
Moreover, the US leader stressed that Russia is on a wartime footing with regard to defence production, and is “significantly ramping up” productions of weapons, munitions and vehicles “with the help of China, North Korea and Iran.”
“We cannot allow the alliance to fall behind,” he noted.
Biden noted that he is pleased that NATO members are working to expanding their industrial base and capacity, including defence spending commitment, which he describes as “a critical step to maintaining our security.”
He said that NATO will become more “innovative and competitive” as members develop plans for defence production at home, and stated that his administration has invested $30bn in defense manufacturing across 35 US states.
“We will not be surpassed. We cannot be surpassed by anyone when it comes to our readiness,” Biden averred.
Joe Biden closed his remarks by saying that the NATO-wide push to strengthen defence manufacturing “sends an unmistakable message to the world.”
“Every NATO member is committed to doing their part to keep the alliance strong. We can and will defend every inch of NATO territory, and we’ll do it together.”
Joe Biden
He said that NATO leaders will ensure that the alliance will always be ready “for whatever threats we will face.”
Biden thanked every NATO member for their commitment in their shared security.
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