Remarks

Good afternoon, good to see you. I really would like to welcome Secretary Austin, dear Lloyd to NATO again. You've been here many times, many times more than I've been here personally, because I'm only here since three weeks. And basically, the agenda for the next two days is very much focusing on issues where you, personally, and United States have provided leadership. 

This afternoon, the meeting with our Indo-Pacific partners, and also the EU being present in that meeting, because we cannot look at the world just as the Euro Atlantic region and Indo Pacific region. They are connected, and there are many threats and challenges which we have to face together. And I know this is particularly on your mind, the President’s and United States as a whole. 

Then tonight, Ukraine. If there is one Ally from day one which has provided the military aid necessary for Ukraine to fight off the onslaught of Russia, starting at the end of February 2022 it was the United States, and I want to salute you for your personal leadership in bringing together the Ramstein coalition. 

And I know from Ukrainians how important this has been from day one for them to make sure and understand and feel psychologically, but also in a reality that they were not alone. Thank you for that.

And then, of course, tomorrow, we will focus at many other issues. They will be important. And particularly I want to commend here the US leadership on ramping up the money we collectively spent on defence. It was in 2014 far below 2% and now as Alliance as a whole, even if you would not figure in the US numbers, it is at 2% and we all know, and I know you agree with this, we have to increase defence spending. That will be debated tomorrow and probably in some of the meetings following after this one, and of course, up to the meeting in The Hague when we have our Summit next summer. But you all know we stand ready now, but if you want to be standing ready for the longer term, we have to ramp up our money, our defence spending. And it is the US and also you personally and the President leading them. So again, thank you Lloyd for being here and being such a staunch ally and defending this part of the world, helping us to do that. Thank you.