US President Joe Biden marked the 75th anniversary of NATO on Thursday, with the security alliance hosting new member Sweden at a major meeting for the first time and Ukraine keen to be invited to an upcoming summit in Washington.
In a statement, Biden welcomed the recent additions of Finland and Sweden, saying “we must choose to protect this progress and build on it.”
“This is the greatest military alliance in the history of the world,” Biden said. “But it did not happen by accident, nor was it inevitable. Generation after generation, the United States and our allies have chosen to unite to defend freedom and fight back against aggression. — and we know that when we do this, we become stronger and the world becomes a safer place.”
Biden’s Democratic allies agreed.
“Despite Putin’s attempts to divide our alliance through his war on Ukraine, the transatlantic partnership is more united than ever thanks to Joe Biden’s steadfast leadership,” said former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “ On this monumental anniversary, we reaffirm that America’s commitment to NATO remains bipartisan and unwavering, and that our defense of democracy will never waver.”
NATO allies are increasingly uneasy about former Republican President Donald Trump’s return to the White House if he defeats Joe Biden in the November 5 US presidential election.
As president, Trump often complained that many NATO countries did not adhere to the alliance’s recommendation to spend 2% of their economic output on defense.
In February, at a campaign rally, Trump recounted a conversation he had with “the president of a great country” when he was leader of the United States.
“Well, sir, if we don’t pay and we get attacked by Russia, will you protect us?” Trump quoted the unnamed leader as saying.
“I said: ‘You didn’t pay? You defaulted?’ He said: ‘Yeah, let’s say that happened. “No, I’m not going to protect you. In fact, I’m going to encourage them (Russia) to do whatever they want. You have to pay a price,” Trump said.
Some analysts believe the alliance remains relevant, citing Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
“Nearly a billion people sleep better at night under the umbrella of NATO,” Robert Benson, senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, said in a message to VOA. “Yet, in a world where Russia’s imperial ambitions once again threaten international peace and security, a small but vocal minority sees the alliance as a relic of the past, a burden, or a distraction — all of which. The United States must continue to support Ukraine and strengthen NATO, not out of charity or moral obligation, but because it makes us safer at home.”
The United States will host the 75th anniversary summit of NATO in Washington in July.
Follow us on Google news ,Twitter , and Join Whatsapp Group of thelocalreport.in
