Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday (13 June 2023) to prepare for next month’s NATO Summit in Vilnius.
The Secretary General thanked President Biden for his leadership and the U.S.’s commitment to NATO in the most dangerous security situation in a generation. He also thanked the U.S. Congress and the American people for their critical support to Ukraine. He said that the United States is leading the way in support for Ukraine, and that European Allies and Canada have also provided tens of billions of dollars of military, financial, and humanitarian aid. Mr Stoltenberg underscored that this support is making a difference on the battlefield now, as Ukraine pursues its counteroffensive and works to retake more territory.
The Secretary General said that at the NATO Summit in Vilnius next month, Allies will step up support to Ukraine for the long haul and further strengthen deterrence and defence. This will include a new and more ambitious defence investment pledge with 2 percent of GDP as a floor, not a ceiling. He also said he looks forward to welcoming Sweden as a full member of NATO as soon as possible.
While in Washington, the Secretary General met separately with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Earlier on Tuesday, he also met Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and a number of other US Senators.
