President Biden said Thursday that the United States’s continued commitment to NATO is “the best bet anyone can make” as world leaders harbor concerns that a future administration may attempt to withdraw from the alliance.
In a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Biden was asked how he would assure allies like Finland that the U.S. will remain a reliable NATO partner.
“I absolutely guarantee it. There is no question,” Biden said. “There’s overwhelming support from the American people. There’s overwhelming support from the members of the Congress, both House and Senate, and both parties — not withstanding the fact there’s some extreme elements of one party. We will stand together.”
“No one can guarantee the future,” he added. “But this is the best bet anyone could make.”
Biden this week attended a NATO Summit in Lithuania, where member nations discussed continued support for Ukraine in its war against invading Russian forces.
The president visited Finland in a show of support for the country after it joined the NATO alliance in April.
Biden has throughout his presidency sought to reassure allies that the U.S. is a reliable partner on the world stage after four tumultuous years under the Trump administration. Then-President Trump at times suggested the U.S. would leave the NATO alliance as he complained that other members were not contributing enough to defense spending.
A bipartisan pair of senators reintroduced a bill Wednesday that would prohibit any U.S. president from withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval or an act of Congress.