President Biden kicked off NATO meetings in Madrid on Wednesday by declaring the military alliance will defend “every inch” of its territory and committing to an enhanced military in Europe.
Mr. Biden singled out Spain, Poland, Romania and the Baltic states as places that would receive additional U.S. troops and resources.
He also said the alliance will be “ready for threats in all directions,” a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression on NATO’s doorstep in Ukraine.
“NATO is more needed now than it ever has been,” Mr. Biden said.
Mr. Biden hailed the Madrid summit as one of the most “historic” after Turkey dropped its opposition to membership by Finland and Sweden.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s aggression poses the alliance’s biggest challenge since World War II.
Mr. Putin wanted “less NATO,” Mr. Stoltenberg said, and instead got “more NATO.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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