Statement by President Biden on Trilateral Agreement Between Turkey, Finland, and SwedenJUNE 28, 2022
I congratulate Turkey, Finland and Sweden on signing a trilateral memorandum, which paves the way for Allies to invite Finland and Sweden to join NATO at the Madrid Summit. When I welcomed President Niinistö and Prime Minister Andersson to the White House last month, I told them that the United States strongly supports their membership. Finland and Sweden are strong democracies with highly capable militaries. Their membership will strengthen NATO’s collective security and benefit the entire Transatlantic Alliance. I look forward to working with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, our Allies, and with Congress to ensure that we can quickly welcome them into our Alliance. As we begin this historic NATO Summit in Madrid, our Alliance is stronger, more united and more resolute than ever.
FACT SHEET: The 2022 NATO Summit in MadridJUNE 29, 2022
The June 29-30, 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain will be an historic moment for the Transatlantic Alliance. Building on the President’s first NATO Summit on June 14, 2021, and extraordinary Summits held on February 25, 2022 and March 24, 2022 in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, this Summit in Madrid will convene all 30 Allied leaders and key NATO partners from Europe and Asia. For the first time, it will include NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners at the leaders level. The Summit will provide an opportunity to advance collective efforts with these Allies and partners to strengthen the rules-based international order. President Biden will reaffirm the United States’ unwavering commitment to the Transatlantic bond and NATO’s Article 5 – that an attack on one is an attack on all. Alongside major new contributions from Allies, the President will also announce at the Summit new stationing of U.S. forces and capabilities in Europe to support NATO and to deter any aggression against our Allies.
Key Summit Outcomes:
A New Strategic Concept: Allied leaders will endorse NATO’s next Strategic Concept, the first update since 2010 for this key public document which describes how NATO will address threats and challenges in its security environment in coming years. The new Strategic Concept outlines NATO’s transformation in line with the NATO 2030 agenda adopted at the 2021 Summit. It will also guide efforts to safeguard Euro-Atlantic security in response to Russia’s aggression, as well as the systemic challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China, and the deepening strategic partnership between Russia and China. The Strategic Concept outlines NATO’s core tasks as deterrence and defense, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security. It will ensure NATO continues to develop appropriate tools and collective responses to transnational threats such as cyber attacks and the security implications of climate change, and recognizes the value of a human security approach to NATO’s work, such as the protection of civilians during conflict, and preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence.
Stronger Deterrence and Defense: In response to the more dangerous European security environment caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, NATO activated its defensive plans and over 40,000 troops are now under direct NATO command. Allies have also doubled NATO’s battlegroups on the eastern flank, ensuring strong defense from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. At the Summit, Allied leaders will endorse a new strengthened defensive force posture, with a 360-degree view across land, air, sea, cyber, and space, and an emphasis on more combat-credible forward capabilities on the eastern flank. Leaders will also take decisions to strengthen NATO’s posture, readiness, and interoperability through more identified reinforcements and an enhanced exercise program.
In response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and in order to ensure the defense of our Allies, the United States deployed or extended over 20,000 additional forces to Europe, and there are currently approximately 100,000 U.S. forces providing defense and deterrence throughout Europe. The United States will continue to adjust its posture as needed in response to the dynamic security environment. In close cooperation with our Allies and hosting nations, President Biden announced today that the United States will take the following additional actions to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense and European security:Establishment of a permanent V Corps Headquarters Forward Command Post in Poland, which will improve U.S.-NATO interoperability across the eastern flank.
Commitment to maintaining an additional rotational Brigade Combat Team in Europe, which the United States will position in Romania, with the ability to deploy subordinate elements for training and exercises across the eastern flank.
Enhanced rotational deployments in the Baltic region including armored, aviation, air defense, and special operations forces, building further interoperability and intensified training with these Allies, and enhancing our ability to quickly reinforce and provide combat-credible defenses. We will maintain a persistent, heel-to-toe presence in the region and will intensify training with our Baltic Allies.
An agreement to work with Spain to increase the number of U.S. destroyers stationed in Rota from four to six.
Two squadrons of F-35 aircraft to the United Kingdom.
Stationing of additional air defense and other enablers in Germany and Italy.
Our Allies are stepping up as well, and have significantly enhanced their contributions to NATO through identified reinforcements and establishment of new combat-credible structures able to scale up to brigade size across the eastern flank. Our Allies will make additional announcements during the Summit on their contributions to NATO, demonstrating their support for shared responsibility for defense and security within the Transatlantic Alliance. We salute all our men and women in uniform from across North America and Europe who continue to serve daily to keep us safe.
Membership Invitations for Finland and Sweden: On May 18, Finland and Sweden made the sovereign decision to apply for NATO membership, demonstrating the continued importance of NATO’s Open Door policy, which provides a path to membership for any European state in a position to further the principles of the Washington Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area. The United States welcomes the trilateral agreement signed on June 28 by Turkey, Sweden, and Finland that will pave the way for NATO leaders to issue an invitation during the Summit to Sweden and Finland. The United States strongly supports the applications by Sweden and Finland and has prepared all necessary materials for the U.S. Congress to carry out their advice and consent responsibilities, once accession talks have concluded and Allies sign the accession protocols, which is expected to occur in the coming days.
Greater Resourcing for NATO: Allies submitted updated plans ahead of the Summit on their efforts to meet their commitment under the Wales Pledge to increase national defense expenditures and major equipment procurement. 2022 is projected to be the eighth consecutive year of increased defense spending by non-U.S. Allies, and many Allies now spend well above NATO’s benchmark of 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is increasingly seen as a floor and not a ceiling. Nine Allies will meet or exceed this commitment this year, 19 Allies have clear plans to meet it by 2024, and an additional five Allies have made concrete commitments to meet it thereafter. By the end of 2022, European Allies and Canada will have spent an additional $350 billion on defense in real terms since 2014. At the Summit, leaders will also decide on significant increases over coming years to NATO’s commonly-funded military and civilian budgets and security investment program, which will enhance the Alliance’s ability to do more together in support of our common security and defense.
Support for Ukraine: At the Summit, Allied leaders will hear directly from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and discuss their ongoing efforts to provide Ukraine with security, humanitarian, and economic assistance. The United States has led the world, providing since the start of the Biden Administration more than $6.3 billion in security assistance to support Ukraine’s right to defend itself. In order to better support Ukraine’s short and long-term needs, Allies will launch with Ukraine at the Summit an updated NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine, the mechanism by which NATO provides non-lethal assistance and support for defense reforms in Ukraine.
Expanded Global Partnerships: For the first time ever, the leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea will participate in a NATO Summit. Allies and these Asia-Pacific partners will initiate a roadmap for expanded cooperation, ensuring closer political consultation and joint work on issues of mutual interest, including cyber and hybrid threats, maritime security, counterterrorism, and the impact of climate change on security. In recognition of the mutually-reinforcing roles of NATO and the EU in bolstering Euro-Atlantic and international security, the presidents of the European Council and European Commission will join the Summit’s discussions and the Transatlantic dinner hosted by Spain. Allies will also consult with Georgia to express support for its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. Allies will also approve expanded programs to support the defensive needs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova.
Safeguarding Democratic Values and Institutions: NATO’s founding treaty and its day-to-day work to secure our citizens make clear that NATO Allies are strongest when they stand united in their respect for the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law. NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly has highlighted the importance of democratic resilience to NATO’s strength and unity, and the United States is working with Allies to support and bolster these efforts. At the Summit, leaders will receive a Progress Report on the Implementation of NATO’s successful Building Integrity program, which promotes transparency and reform in the defense and security sectors. The report also tasks NATO to continue working with Allies and partners to address good governance and the impact of corruption as key elements of the Alliance’s broader political and security agenda.
Strengthened Cyber Resilience and Defense: Building on last year’s adoption of a new Cyber Defense Policy for NATO, Allied leaders will endorse a new action plan to strengthen cyber cooperation across the political, military, and technical levels. As an operational domain for NATO, cyber will also be a key component of NATO’s strengthened deterrence and defense posture. Building on lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine, Allies will decide at the Summit to use NATO as a coordination platform for offering national assets to build and exercise a virtual rapid response cyber capability to respond to a serious cyber-attack. The United States will offer robust national capabilities as part of this support network.
Preserving our Technological Edge: Leaders will offer pledges to help stand up a new Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, which will support NATO’s efforts to boost interoperability and ensure that every Ally has access to cutting-edge technological solutions for military needs. The U.S. will contribute by facilitating access to U.S. entities, such as test centers and accelerator sites, drawn from across the extensive and diverse U.S. innovation sector.
Combating Climate Change and Promoting Energy Resilience: Ahead of the Summit, NATO hosted its first-ever high-level dialogue on climate change and related security implications. The U.S. has been a leader in the alliance on spurring NATO’s adaptation to these issues, including by mainstreaming climate considerations in intelligence analysis and assisting with development of a methodology for mapping the NATO enterprise’s greenhouse gas emissions. As part of implementing NATO’s new climate change and security action plan and reducing energy dependence, the United States will also continue to work with Allies to promote best practices for reducing energy demand in military procurement.
###
