NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington D.C. on Tuesday 18 June 2024, as part of his visit to the United States and Canada, in preparation for the Washington Summit in July.
Mr Stoltenberg thanked Secretary Blinken for his strong commitment to NATO. He stressed that for 75 years, NATO has been the ultimate security guarantee for all Allies, and that in NATO, the U.S. has 31 friends and Allies that help to advance U.S. interests and multiply America’s power.
The Secretary General also emphasised that burden sharing is improving within NATO, pointing out that defence spending is up 18 percent across European Allies and Canada in 2024, and that 23 Allies will invest at least 2% of GDP in defence this year. He also noted that Allies are sharing the burden of support to Ukraine, and that at the Summit, he expects “European Allies and Canada to come forward with more financial and military support.”
Also on Tuesday, Secretary General Stoltenberg will meet with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and members of the Senate NATO Observer Group. On Wednesday, the Secretary General will travel to Ottawa to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He will return to Washington D.C. on Thursday to meet with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and members of the U.S. Congress.
