President Biden said the U.S. remains committed to the transatlantic alliance and will work closely with partners in the European Union to address the shared security threats and other challenges, Military Times reported Friday.
“The transatlantic alliance is back. And we are not looking backward; we are looking forward, together,” Biden said Friday in a speech during the virtual Munich Security Conference. “The United States is fully committed to our NATO Alliance, and I welcome Europe’s growing investment in the military capabilities that enable our shared defense.”
He cited the role of the alliance in countering the Islamic State militant organization and the U.S. commitment to consulting with NATO allies when it comes to military missions in Afghanistan.
“We remain committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again provides a base for terrorist attacks against the United States and our partners and our interests,” he added.
Biden said he has ordered to halt the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany and lift the cap on the number of U.S. forces that should be deployed to the European country.
In his speech, Biden highlighted the need to defend and strengthen democracy and the importance of transatlantic cooperation to address the threats posed by Russia, China and Iran.
He also cited the need to collaborate to address climate change by accelerating commitments to reduce emissions and strengthen global health systems to fight the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide and the resurgence of Ebola in Africa.
“We have to work together to strengthen and reform the World Health Organization. We need a U.N. system focused on biological threats that can move quickly to trigger action,” Biden added.
