Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington, DC, at the start of the Washington NATO Summit on July 9, 2024. According to Spokesperson Matthew Miller, the meeting focused on critical decisions Allied leaders will make at the Summit.
Discussions included implementing a significant reinforcement plan for collective defense and endorsing the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion pledge. This pledge aims to enhance Allies' ability to defend against current and future threats. Both leaders noted substantial progress in burden sharing, with over two-thirds of Allies now committing two percent of GDP to defense spending.
Additionally, they addressed expected decisions at Thursday’s NATO-Ukraine Council aimed at facilitating Ukraine's path to NATO membership while bolstering its defense against Russian aggression.
