President Joe Biden released a statement Tuesday morning celebrating a new term for the leader of NATO.
Jens Stoltenberg has been secretary-general of NATO since October 2014, leading the military alliance as it responds to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While other names had been floated for the position, Biden said he welcomed the extension.
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“With his steady leadership, experience, and judgement, secretary general Stoltenberg has brought our alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II,” Biden said in a prepared statement. “Today, our alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been.”
Stoltenberg will now stay in the position until at least Oct. 1, 2024. It was his fourth extension since he took the position.
Biden and Stoltenberg have worked together closely since the war in Ukraine began last February, coordinating aid and sanctions against Russia between members of the alliance. They’ve also worked to bring in new members Finland and Sweden, with the former having already joined and the latter expected in the near future.
The latest expansions would bring NATO membership to 32 nations, with 30 of them in Europe, along with the United States and Canada in North America.
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The announcement comes as Biden prepares for a series of meetings next week in Vilnius, Lithuania, and as NATO prepares for the next phase of the Ukraine war.
“I look forward to continuing the work with secretary general Stoltenberg to further strengthen the aliance next week at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, and ahead of the 75th Anniversary NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. next year,” Biden said.
