Tuesday, June 8th 2021
Meeting with Biden before the summit
Stoltenberg tried to get a “strong NATO”
The NATO summit is casting its shadow: Before Joe Biden starts his trip to Europe, Jens Stoltenberg meets the US President in the White House. After the Trump era, the NATO Secretary General is trying to strengthen the transatlantic alliance – and emphasizes advantages for all allies.
According to General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO summit next week will send out a sign of transatlantic unity. After meeting US President Joe Biden in the White House, Stoltenberg said he and Biden agreed that NATO must be strengthened at a time of global competition.
Together we are stronger and safer in this “more unpredictable world”, in which we have to be prepared for a range of different challenges and threats. Stoltenberg cited Russia, which is increasingly aggressive towards its neighbors, and China, which is investing in new military capabilities, as examples. The Chinese government does not share “our values,” said Stoltenberg after a meeting.
As part of his first trip abroad as US President, Biden will take part in the meeting of the heads of state and government of the NATO member states on June 14th. He was happy to receive Biden in Brussels, said Stoltenberg. “A strong NATO is good for Europe, but it is also good for the United States. No other great power has as many friends and allies as the United States has in NATO.”
Biden will also be attending the Summit of the Seven Leading Developed Countries (G7) from June 11-13 in Cornwall, UK. The first meeting between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin is also planned for June 16 in Geneva. It is still unclear whether there will be a joint press conference after the meeting, said US security advisor Jake Sullivan.
Relations between the United States and many allies were severely strained under Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump. Biden has promised to bring the tense relationship back to normal. Stoltenberg had also met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. At the meeting Afghanistan was also discussed, where the official withdrawal of international troops has been going on for a little over a month.
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