NATO chief: Time to set aside Trump-era divisions

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said over the weekend that members of the alliance are looking to put behind them past disagreements and acrimony that took place during former President Trump’s time leading the United States. 

Member countries are “at a pivotal moment for our alliance, and today we’ll open a new chapter in our transatlantic relationship,” the head of the international coalition said, according to The Associated Press. 

Stoltenberg added NATO is “not entering a new Cold War, and China is not our adversary, not our enemy. But we need to address together as an alliance the challenges that the rise of China poses to our security.”

Trump regularly criticized NATO and member nations for what he described as unfair treatment toward the United States, which he said was not getting enough value for the billions of dollars it gives to the organization each year. 

“They’re delinquent, too, with respect to their dues, the money they’re supposed to be paying for defense,” Trump said last year of NATO ally Germany. “So the United States is defending a lot of countries. They’re delinquent on what they’re supposed to be paying. And I never feel too good about that.”

President Biden is in Europe this week for the annual NATO summit, attempting to shore up relations between the United States and other Western allies. 

Following a trip to the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in the United Kingdom earlier this week, Biden declared “America is back at the table.”

“The lack of participation in the past and full engagement was noticed significantly, not only by the leaders of those countries but by the people in the G-7 countries. America is back in the business of leading the world alongside nations who share our most deeply held values,” Biden said. “Bottom line is I think we’ve made some progress in reestablishing American credibility among our closest friends and our values.” 

Biden is also preparing for a highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, slated for Wednesday.