NATO Defence Ministers meeting – Secretary General welcomed US Secretary of Defense
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to NATO Headquarters on 16 February 2022, ahead of meetings of Allied Defence Ministers.
In the context of the current crisis caused by Russia's significant military build-up in and around Ukraine, Mr. Stoltenberg thanked Secretary Austin for the United States' essential contributions to NATO's collective defence and deterrence. These contributions, not only in words but also in deeds, are "of great importance and very much welcomed", said the Secretary General.