Biden: ‘NATO More Needed Now Than It Ever Has Been’ 6/29/22 Transcript

President Biden: (00:00)
Today, I’m announcing the United States will enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the changed security environment, as well as strengthening our collective security. Earlier this year, we surged 20,000 additional US forces to Europe, to bolster our Alliance in response to Russia’s aggressive move, bringing our force total in Europe to 100,000. We’re going to continue to adjust our posture based on the threat, in close consultation with our allies.

President Biden: (00:30)
Here in Spain, we’re going to work with our ally to increase US Navy Destroyer Station in Spain’s Rota Naval Base, from four to six destroyers. In Poland, we’re going to establish a permanent headquarters, the US 5th Army Corps, and strengthening our US NATO interoperability across the entire Eastern flank. We’re going to maintain additional rotational brigade, which is 3000 fighters and another 2000 personnel combat team here in Europe, headquartered in Romania. And we’re going to enhance our rotational deployments in the Baltic states.

President Biden: (01:15)
And we’re going to send two additional F-35 squadrons to the UK, and station additional air defense and other capabilities in Germany and in Italy. And together with our allies, we’re going to make sure that NATO is ready to meet threats from all directions across every domain, land, air, and the sea. In the moment when Putin has shattered peace in Europe, an attack of very, very tenants of rule-based order, the United States and our allies we’re going to step up. We’re stepping up. We’re proving that NATO is more needed now than it ever has been. And it’s as important as it ever has been.