Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Feb. 8 at the Pentagon.
Secretary Austin thanked Secretary General Stoltenberg for his steadfast leadership of the NATO Alliance, especially throughout Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Both highlighted the importance of maintaining Allied unity and support for Ukraine during this critical time. Both then expressed condolences to those affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria and offered continued support for the relief efforts.
The Secretary and Secretary General discussed the upcoming NATO Defense Ministerial and progress made on decisions taken at the 2022 Madrid Summit to advance NATO's military adaptation to better address challenges posed by Russia as well as terrorism.
They also discussed the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, where Alliance heads of state and government will take additional steps to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defense. Both reaffirmed their support for Finland and Sweden's membership bid to join NATO before the Vilnius Summit.
