NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the alliance, with its turbulent 75-year history, is capable of facing any eventuality, including elections in France or the United States.
Stoltenberg sought to reassure in an interview with Agence France-Presse hours before the first election debate between current US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump .
"I expect the United States to remain a strong NATO ally regardless of the outcome of the US election because it is in the US's interest for its security," the Norwegian official told the alliance.
The possible return to the White House of Donald Trump, who has in the past described NATO as an "obsolete" organization, is raising concerns in Brussels and many European capitals.
The possibility of a far-right government being formed in France after the early legislative elections, the first round of which will be held next Sunday, is also raising concerns among some NATO and European Union leaders.
Commenting on this, Jens Stoltenberg said that the political fluctuations that the alliance has witnessed since its founding in 1949 have made it more durable.
He explained in response to a question about the dangers of the alliance’s disintegration after the American and French elections, “Things are not engraved in stone, nor are they the law of nature. These are political decisions that we make every day. But we have proven that we are capable of reaching the utmost levels of steadfastness because it is in our interest to remain together and this is It applies to both the United States and Europe.
The Secretary-General of NATO, who will step down from his position on October 1, 2024 after spending ten years at the head of the alliance , spoke about the shock caused by the French decision to withdraw from the integrated military command of the alliance in 1966.
"Over the course of 75 years we have faced many internal debates, many questions about the strength of the alliance and many doubts about our ability to stay together, starting with the 1966 crisis and the French decision to withdraw from NATO leadership," he added.
He said that every time the alliance has held out, adding: "I expect it to remain strong no matter what the upcoming dangers are."
He explained in the context that NATO had also succeeded in adapting.
The Norwegian stressed that " former President Donald Trump's criticism was not directed against NATO, but against NATO allies who do not pay enough."
He stated that this situation has “now changed,” with 23 out of 32 member countries allocating at least 2% of their gross domestic product to military spending.
He continued by saying, "We are in a better position to prove that the United States does not bear the burden of expenses alone."
Stoltenberg said Donald Trump was not the first US president to complain about Europeans not funding their defence, noting that Trump had been “very frank and very direct in his criticism of allies and Joe Biden had the same message but in a different style and tone but the message remained the same: ‘We cannot continue like this’.”
The alliance was much needed!
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