U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin posted an op-ed in the Washington Post, in print today, headlined, “America Believes in NATO.” This comes just ahead of today’s opening of the virtual NATO defense ministers meeting opening, in which Austin assured the alliance that after four years of turmoil, the U.S. is back and fully committed to NATO. At the outset, Austin wrote that while President Joe Biden has made diplomacy “the primary means” of U.S. engagement with the world, “the pPresident also recognizes that all of our decisions and actions must be accomplished from a position of strength.”
“For the Defense Department, this means fielding a credible force, ready to back up the hard work of diplomacy,” Austin continued. “It also means working closely with our allies and partners to secure our common interests and promote our shared values abroad. Simply put, we cannot meet our responsibilities alone, nor should we try.” Austin promised that “This is the message I will deliver Wednesday to my counterparts at the NATO defense ministers’ meeting. We must consult together, decide together and act together.”
