For the First Time Since World War II, Europe Faces Serious Developments: U.S. President

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the White House. During the meeting, Stoltenberg announced that in 2024, defense spending by NATO's European members and Canada will increase by 18%, with 23 alliance members expected to spend 2% or more of their GDP on defense.

Stoltenberg stated, "This is the largest increase in decades." The NATO Secretary General expressed gratitude to Biden for what he termed strong leadership on the Ukraine issue, and welcomed the signing of a security agreement between Washington and Kyiv. "European members of the alliance are also strengthening military support for Ukraine," the official noted.

Joe Biden opined that for the first time since World War II, Europe is facing very serious developments. According to the White House leader, NATO allies have successfully managed to deter further Russian aggression in Europe through their collective efforts.