NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed a US Congressional Delegation to NATO headquarters on Friday (20 May 2022), thanking the lawmakers for the strong and bipartisan commitment of the United States to NATO, as demonstrated by both chambers of Congress. The delegation included Senate and House committee chairs Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Richard Neal, along with 13 other distinguished Democratic and Republican senators and representatives.
Mr Stoltenberg updated the delegation on work to reinforce NATO’s deterrence and defence and on Allies’ efforts to provide and sustain support to Ukraine, including security assistance. They also discussed the historic application by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. Mr Stoltenberg said he welcomed the strong US bipartisan support for admitting Finland and Sweden into the Alliance. He also noted the importance of addressing the security concerns of all Allies.
The bipartisan delegation and the Secretary General also discussed next month’s NATO Summit, including strengthening the Alliance’s deterrence and defence and strengthening support for partners. They also addressed burden sharing within the Alliance, and the importance of continued defence investments.