Six senators are planning to travel to Lithuania next month for the annual NATO summit. The focus of the summit is expected to be the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Leading the delegation are Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), along with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). The senators will gather in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
In a statement, Shaheen and Tillis expressed pride in leading a bipartisan group to send a strong message to the international community. They affirmed that the United States, regardless of party lines, stands firmly with the Alliance in the face of shared global security challenges. The senators noted that NATO responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent violence with unity.
Shaheen and Tillis serve as co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, which consists of seven Democrats and seven Republicans. The purpose of the group is to keep senators informed about alliance members’ defense spending commitments, military upgrades, counterterrorism capabilities, enlargement of the alliance, and ability to address non-conventional warfare.
The senators emphasized the importance of standing by partners and defending democracy worldwide, particularly against adversaries like Putin who threaten the rules-based order. They look forward to conveying this message and reaffirming the United States’ commitment to these principles at the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius.
Although Ukraine filed an expedited application to join NATO in response to the Russian invasion, discussions about issuing a formal invitation for Ukraine to join NATO at the upcoming summit are not currently being held. NATO leaders are focused on how to bring Ukraine closer to the alliance and ensure that it can defend itself as a sovereign, independent, and democratic nation against Russian aggression.
Shaheen and Tillis led a delegation to the NATO summit last year as well.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
