Joe Biden and Jens Stoltenberg have again urged Western countries to provide more resources to Kyiv in its war against Russia.
The 75th NATO summit opened in Washington on Tuesday.
At an event at Mellon Auditorium, the very site where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949, Biden insisted that Ukraine would not back down in the face of Russian aggression, and that with the help of its allies, it would eventually end this war and defeat Vladimir Putin.
“In Europe, Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues, and Putin wants nothing less than the total submission of Ukraine to end Ukrainian democracy. To destroy Ukrainian culture and wipe Ukraine off the map. And we know that Putin will not stop at Ukraine. But make no mistake, Ukraine can and will stop Putin..” said Joe Biden.
For his part, the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, urged the West to provide more weapons and means to Ukraine to send a message of firmness to President Vladimir Putin. He explained that the greatest cost and the greatest risk for the whole world would be if Russia succeeded in its aims.
“Not only would it embolden President Putin, it would also embolden other authoritarian leaders in Iran, North Korea, and China. They all support Russia’s brutal war. They all want NATO to fail. So the outcome of this war will determine global security for decades to come. The time to defend freedom and democracy is now. The place is Ukraine.“. did he declare.
Jens Stoltenberg honored
At the end of this solemn celebration, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, awarded Jens Stoltenberg the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom. This distinction, which represents the highest civilian decoration of the United States, was presented in recognition of his ten years of dedication and exemplary leadership at the head of the Atlantic Alliance.
With this award, President Biden honored Mr. Stoltenberg’s significant contributions to promoting peace, security, and international cooperation within NATO.
It is now the former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte who will be in charge of the Alliance from this fall.
