NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the press ahead of talks on August 27, 2020 in Berlin, Germany.
Omer Messinger | Getty Images News | Getty Images
US President Joe Biden is a “strong supporter” of NATO, and the alliance can be further strengthened with him in office, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this week.
“President Biden and his inauguration as the new president are a new chapter for our alliance, because Joe Biden is such a strong supporter of NATO. He knows NATO very well,” NATO chief Hadley Gamble told CNBC on Thursday.
This will be an opportunity to further strengthen NATO, he added, noting that Biden wants to rebuild alliances.
The US commitment to NATO has reached a low point under former President Donald Trump. He repeatedly attacked the Allies because they paid less than their fair share for the group.
Stoltenberg said he is looking forward to working with the new administration to address issues around the world.
“We face so many challenges at the same time: the rise of China, … the change in the global balance of power, a more assertive Russia that uses force against its neighbors in Ukraine and elsewhere and then, of course, the constant threat of terrorist attacks.” he said.
“None of us can address this alone, we have to stay together,” he said. “I don’t just believe in America, I don’t believe only in Europe, I believe in Europe and North America together in NATO.”
US troops and NATO presence in Afghanistan, Iraq
Separately, Stoltenberg weighed in on the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We should be careful [about] “Don’t leave too early,” he said. At the same time, no one wants to stay in Afghanistan or Iraq longer than necessary. “
The Pentagon announced last week that the number of American troops in both countries has been reduced to 2,500, according to Trump’s instructions when he was president.
His administration signed an agreement with the Taliban in February, aimed at a permanent ceasefire in Afghanistan and would reduce the US military presence in the country.
What matters to me is that we make decisions together, that we coordinate everything we do in Afghanistan.
NATO also has personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Stoltenberg said NATO is in close consultation with the new US administration. “We will face a difficult dilemma,” he said.
Leaving would risk losing the gains made in Afghanistan in the fight against international terrorism and in making social progress, but remaining means continued involvement in a “difficult military conflict”.
“What matters to me is that we make decisions together, that we coordinate everything we do in Afghanistan,” he said.
NATO intends to expand its presence in Iraq, Stoltenberg added.
“I strongly believe that the best way we can help prevent the return of ISIS terrorists is by training Iraqi forces, helping them fight with themselves,” he said.
– CNBC’s Matt Clinch contributed to this report.