President Biden opened NATO’s 75th anniversary summit on Tuesday by recognizing outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s decade-long leadership with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U.S.’s highest civilian award.
In a moment that seemed to surprise the secretary general, Biden invited Stoltenberg to the Mellon Auditorium stage during his comments at the opening ceremony of the three-day summit, which celebrates the alliance’s milestone but is focused on supporting Ukraine. in its defensive war against Russia.
“The secretary guided the alliance through one of the most important periods in its history. I realized, talking to your wife, that I personally asked you to extend your service, forgive me,” Biden said and drew laughter from the audience.
“You suspended your own plans when the Russian war in Ukraine began, you did not hesitate. Today NATO is stronger, smarter and more energized than when it began. And a billion people in Europe and North America, indeed around the world, will reap the fruits of their labor in the years to come, in the form of security, opportunity and greater freedom,” Biden said.
“For these reasons, I am pleased to bestow upon you the highest civilian honor the United States can bestow, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
Stoltenberg, former prime minister of Norway, will be succeeded this year as secretary general by Mark Rutte, former prime minister of the Netherlands.
Stoltenberg assumed the NATO leadership role in 2014, when Russia launched its first invasion of eastern Ukraine and took control of the Crimean Peninsula, catching the alliance by surprise.
That event led to NATO’s pledge that each member state would commit to spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on domestic defense spending, a goal that Stoltenberg announced will be achieved by 23 of NATO’s 32 member states by 2024.
The secretary-general is credited with leading the alliance through political attacks over the years — from French President Emmanuel Macron’s assertion that the alliance is “brain dead” in 2019 and former President Trump withholding a commitment to the mutual defense pillar of NATO Article 5.
The alliance’s mission to operate by consensus has at times been hijacked by Turkey and Hungary, which have more recently delayed the accession of Finland and Sweden due to political demands.
In remarks at the opening ceremony, Stoltenberg laid out the alliance’s risks for the summit, which focuses on increasing support for Ukraine to survive Russia’s war of aggression. The alliance is expected to announce a significant package of military and financial assistance and new commitments to move Ukraine closer to NATO membership, but has withheld a formal invitation due to concerns about provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Let’s be honest, even our support for Ukraine has not been guaranteed, it is not simple because our support carries costs and risks,” said Stoltenberg.
“The reality is that there are no free options with an aggressive Russia as a neighbor, nor risk-free options in a war. And remember that the biggest cost and the biggest risk will be if Russia wins in Ukraine. We can’t let that happen.”
“Our alliance is not perfect and we will continue to face difficult decisions in the future,” he continued.
“I don’t know what the next crisis will be, but I know we are at our best when we make difficult decisions with political courage and moral clarity, and I know we are stronger and safer together in NATO. Is good to have friends.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
