NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who is the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance of 30 European and North American countries. He visited Washington DC in January 28, 2024 to meet with top US defense officials and lawmakers, and urged them to continue supporting Ukraine with weapons, ammunition and spares in its war against Russia.
Jen Stoltenberg argued that US military funding for Ukraine carries a key deterrent message for China, which is closely watching the allies’ response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that if Putin gets what he wants in Ukraine, it will embolden other authoritarian powers, such as Iran or North Korea, and make the world more vulnerable.
He also called for a more ambitious new defense investment pledge from NATO members, with 2% of GDP as a minimum to be invested in their defense. He said this was necessary to reverse Russia’s aggression and to maintain NATO’s credibility and cohesion.