U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced today, Friday, that the United States is working to enhance NATO's deterrence power and its military industries. During his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Prague, on the sidelines of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Blinken emphasized the efforts to strengthen NATO's collective defense through regional plans for capacity distribution. He noted that during the upcoming NATO summit, significant steps will be taken to bring Ukraine closer to membership in the alliance.
According to a statement from the U.S. State Department, Blinken and Stoltenberg discussed the United States and NATO's ongoing commitment to support Ukraine, as well as the key achievements expected from the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, including strengthening Ukraine's defense, deepening relationships between NATO and its partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and further enhancing deterrence and defense among allies.
Blinken stressed the importance of continued progress in a fair sharing of the responsibility for NATO's collective defense among allies. On another note, the U.S. Secretary of State pointed out that the mechanism for distributing aid within the Gaza Strip is not functioning effectively due to the ongoing fighting in the area, emphasizing that the United States is working intensively to open Gaza crossings and to improve the distribution of aid.
