In a press conference at the NATO summit, Biden stressed the United States’ devotion to the alliance: “The commitment to Article Five of the NATO treaty is rock solid and unshakable.”
Biden, attending his first NATO summit as president, called Article Five, the collective defense clause of the alliance charter, “a sacred commitment.”
“NATO stands together,” he continued. “That’s how we’ve met every other threat in the past.”
A central aim of Biden’s visit was restoring the United States’ commitment to the alliance, which beleaguered under his predecessor, Donald Trump. The former president called the alliance “obsolete” and complained that it allowed for “global freeloading” countries to spend less on military defense at the expense of the U.S.
“I’ve had a chance to meet with several leaders recently and I’ve had calls with others,” Biden said at the beginning of his press conference, which was delayed by more than two hours. “It’s been an incredibly productive day here.”
“We have to prove to the world and to our own people that democracy can still prevail against the challenges of our time,” the president said.
Among the so-called “challenges” discussed at Monday’s summit was countering Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, who Biden will be meeting with in Geneva on Wednesday.
Biden has used his 8-day trip to Europe to urge allies to work more closely in pressing Putin over his government’s treatment of political dissidents and to do more to stem cyber attacks originating from Russia that have targeted private companies and governments around the globe.
“I shared with our allies what I’ll convey to President Putin: I’m not looking for conflict with Russia, but we will respond if Russia continues its harmful activities,” Biden said, ahead of his planned summit Wednesday with Russia’s leader. “And we will not fail to defend the trans-Atlantic alliance or stand up for democratic values.”
“As allies, we also affirmed our continued support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he added.
Responding to a question about the summit, Biden called Putin a “worthy adversary,” and said he aimed to find areas where the two nations can “cooperate — if he chooses,” but noted that he will “make clear what the red lines are” on areas where they disagree.
“I have met with him. He’s bright. He’s tough,” Biden said. “And I have found that he is — as they say when I used to play ball — a worthy adversary.”
“If he chooses not to cooperate and acts in a way that he has in the past,” Biden pledged, “we will respond in kind.”
The president said that every single leader Biden met with this week thanked him for meeting with Putin face to face.
On the subject of Alexei Navalny and what it would mean for U.S.-Russia relations if the country’s opposition leader dies in prison, Biden said that, ”Navalny’s death would be another indication that Russia has little or no intention of abiding by basic fundamental human rights.”
“It would be a tragedy,” the president said, adding: “It would do nothing but hurt his relationships with the rest of the world, in my view, and with me.”
“I’m hoping that President Putin concludes that there is some interest in terms of his own interests in changing the perception the world has of him, in terms of whether he’ll engage in behavior that’s more consistent with what is considered to be appropriate,” Biden said of Russia’s leader.
Biden declined to discuss what the discussion would entail — “I’ll tell you all that when it’s over” — later adding that his policy would be “verify, then trust,” a play on the “trust, but verify” oft-used by Ronald Reagan when dealing with the Soviet Union.
Biden said that Ukraine joining NATO “will depend on the alliance and how they vote.”
A reporter from the Washington Post asked what Biden would say to the United States’ allies rattled by the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and Trump’s hold over the Republican Party.
“What I say to them is: ‘Watch me,’” Biden said, adding: “I’m not making any promises to anyone that I don’t believe are overwhelmingly likely to be kept.”
“I think it’s appropriate to say the Republican Party is vastly diminished in numbers,” Biden continued. “The leadership of the Republican Party is fractured. And the Trump wing of the party is the bulk of the party, but it makes up a significant minority of the American people.”
“It is a shock and surprise that what’s happened in terms of the consequence of President Trump’s phony populism has happened,” Biden continued. “And it is disappointing that so many of my colleagues in the Senate who I know know better have been reluctant to take on, for example, an investigation because they’re worried about being primaried.”
“I think this is passing,” Biden said. “I don’t mean easily passing. That’s why it’s so important that I succeed in my agenda,” specifically touting infrastructure, COVID-19 vaccines and fixing the economy.
“It’s important we demonstrate we can make progress, and continue to make progress, and I think we’re going to be able to do that,” Biden said, noting that the proof will be in where the country is in the coming months.
Biden opened his remarks by touting the “enormous progress” the U.S. has had against COVID-19, noting that case numbers and deaths are dropping “dramatically,” but urged Americans to “get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
“There’s still too many lives being lost,” Biden said.
The president offered his condolences to those who have lost loved ones from COVID as the U.S. approaches the grim milestone of 600,000 deaths from the coronavirus.
“Now’s not the time to let our guard down, so please get vaccinated as soon as possible,” Biden said. “We’ve had enough pain. Enough pain.”
Biden left NATO headquarters after his remarks to pay his respects at the 9/11 memorial, which includes twisted steel from the World Trade Center.
President Joe Biden touches a piece of steel from the North Tower of the World Trade Center while visiting a memorial to the September 11 terrorist attacks at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday, June 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
