QUESTION: So Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today. Some European countries have expressed concern after President – former President Trump’s comments on NATO membership and the impact this could have on the collective security. Do you think the future of NATO as we know it today, and more specifically the U.S. role as a security guarantor in Europe and around the globe, depends on the outcome of the presidential election here in November?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, look, what I can tell you is this. We have a NATO Alliance that’s about to celebrate its 75th anniversary, and it’s premised on one big idea, that all the nations joining in the Alliance – and it’s a defense Alliance; it’s meant to protect all of our people. It’s basically one for all. And so we’ve all committed that if anything happens to any of our countries, we’ll all jump in and make sure that we’re protecting them.
That’s been a very powerful thing, and the Alliance today is actually stronger and now larger than it’s ever been. We have two new members. We have Finland and Sweden that’s about to join.
QUESTION: About to.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: And that’s because what we’ve seen, unfortunately, in the last couple of years, the last two years, is aggression coming from Russia directed against Ukraine, also directed at other countries, that it caused countries to say it makes sense for us to be part of this Alliance so that if we see this aggression coming in our direction, we’re all in this together.
The only time that the famous Article 5 of NATO – that’s the part of the NATO Treaty that says if one of us is attacked we’re all attacked and we’re joined in defending each other – the only time that article was actually evoked in the entire history of NATO was after 9/11, when the United States was attacked and all of our partners in NATO said we’re going to come to your defense and work with you, if you want us to, in dealing with those who attacked you on 9/11.
So it’s a long way of saying I think Americans know and see that this Alliance, over so many years, has not only been good for the other countries that are in it, but it’s been good for the United States. And I think that’s why you’re going to see an enduring commitment.
The other thing is this. Back under President Obama, it was agreed that NATO countries would commit 2 percent of their economies to spending on defense. Now we’re at a point with President Biden’s leadership where about two-thirds of the Alliance is reaching that mark. So these are countries that are standing up and making the contributions necessary, and that’s good for the United States too.
QUESTION: And certainly Europe has been making more investments on defense. Now that we’re talking about NATO membership, the war in Ukraine is entering its second year. And just this week the head of NATO said that it’s only a matter of time before Ukraine joins the Alliance. I want to ask you if the administration has a goal and it’s thinking about fast-tracking Ukraine’s NATO membership. And also, what can we expect from that conflict with U.S. aid in doubt because of the process in Congress and also European support proving insufficient?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, the truth is, when it – first of all, when it comes to supporting Ukraine, what you’ve seen over the last two years since Russia attacked Ukraine in February of 2022 is now more than 50 countries coming together to support it, to help it defend itself, to make sure that it can repel the Russian aggression and stand strongly on its own two feet. And when it comes to what we call burden sharing – that is is everyone carrying their weight (inaudible), this is the best example of that that I’ve ever seen in the more than 30 years that I’ve been doing this kind of work.
Yes, the United States has provided a lot for…
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