Jens Stoltenberg echoed the president in saying defense spending among alliance members must be fair.
By Anne Gearan and Anne Gearan White House reporter Email Bio Follow Karoun Demirjian Karoun Demirjian Congressional reporter focusing on national security Email Bio Follow April 3 at 4:01 PM NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg drew bipartisan applause and some 18 standing ovations Wednesday as he made a case to Congress for the survival of the transatlantic alliance that was built out of the ashes of World War II, but his most important audience was not in the room.
The NATO chief spoke at the invitation of Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell . The rare joint invitation is a mark of Republican distaste for Trump’s harsh treatment of NATO allies. Republicans including McConnell have broken with Trump over his overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin and willingness to accept Putin’s denial of interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Stoltenberg is the first NATO chief to address Congress. He drew a crowded but not full house that included Pence, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Joseph F. Dunford Jr. and several Cabinet members. Stoltenberg insisted that the differences of opinion, like the differences in NATO members’ geography and history, could be an asset.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NATO Chief Tells Congress Alliance Remains Urgently NeededNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told U.S. lawmakers the alliance remains vital and relevant to crises, and said President Trump has had a positive effect on trends in defense spending.
Read more »
NATO leader tells Congress alliance is strong, plays down disputes with Donald Trump'We have overcome our disagreements in the past, and we must overcome our differences now,' NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tells Congress.
Read more »
NATO Extends Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s Tenure to 2022NATO extended until 2022 the mandate of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who has won praise from the Trump administration for encouraging allies to spend more on defense.
Read more »
NATO secretary general calls for confronting Russian aggression in speech to CongressNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on the defense alliance to stay united against an increasingly assertive Russia
Read more »
NATO Secretary General addresses joint session of Congress as alliance celebrates 70th anniversaryNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says, 'NATO has been good for Europe. But NATO has also been good for the United States.' 'The strength of a nation is not only measured by the size of its economy...but also by the number of its friends.'
Read more »
Trump praises NATO chief, says he's happy allies are 'paying'President Trump praised NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, saying his performance 'has been outstanding.' Asked if he was considering pulling the US out of NATO, Trump said: 'People are paying and I'm very happy with the fact that they're paying.'
Read more »