:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mentormedier/C7I5IL7GPVHRZEIM37TNAVH6O4.jpg "Ukraine is making progress in the counterattack against Vladimir Putin and Russia – Dagsavisen")
This case has been extended
Stoltenberg made the comments while meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House.
Biden said America’s commitment to NATO was strong and the alliance had become more united during the Ukraine war. The meeting at the White House was the fourth between the two leaders.
It was postponed a day because the American president is due to have a root canal on Monday.
Not yet clear who will take over after Jens Stoltenberg
Biden has not made a decision on who will be the next NATO secretary general, spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre at the White House told a news conference.
Stoltenberg is currently due to step down at the end of September after nine years as NATO Secretary General. There is speculation as to whether the period will be extended further.
The Secretary-General did not respond when asked whether his term would be extended.
It’s time to welcome Sweden into NATO
Before meeting with Biden, Stoltenberg spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
It’s time to welcome Sweden into NATO at the defense alliance meeting in Vilnius in July, the two said. The meeting in the Lithuanian capital will take place on July 11 and 12.
Blinken stressed that Sweden had undertaken an “important and very appropriate” process to “reassure other allies who had expressed concern”.
– We hope to welcome Sweden as a new ally as soon as possible, said Stoltenberg.
Türkiye and Hungary are the only NATO countries that have yet to approve Sweden’s application.
Expect a new support package
Blinken and Stoltenberg also comment on Russia’s war against Ukraine and in particular the support that has been sent from NATO countries to Ukraine.
Antony Blinken hopes that NATO countries will provide a new package of support to Ukraine after the meeting in Vilnius.
– We see that contributions from allies in NATO are making a difference on the battlefield now that Ukraine has started its counteroffensive. The more land Ukraine manages to reclaim, the better starting position they will have in future negotiations, Stoltenberg said.
He predicted that NATO leaders would increase military aid to Ukraine when they meet next month.
Read more about the war in Ukraine here!
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