United States President Joe Biden awarded outgoing North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the NATO summit in Washington.
In his remarks, Biden celebrated the alliance's 75th anniversary emphasizing that "NATO is now stronger than it's ever been." He highlighted potential consequences without NATO, including wars that would allegedly erupt in Europe, American troop deaths that would follow, together with economic collapses and other "catastrophes."
The US president also welcomed Finland and Sweden for joining the alliance.