Granite State Times

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, led a press conference today with members of the bipartisan congressional delegation at the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Joining Shaheen and Tillis were Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK).   

“Senator Tillis and I are proud to lead this bipartisan delegation during one of the most consequential times in history for the NATO Alliance,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our delegation reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine, which is on the frontlines of the fight for democracy, and engaged with international leaders on topics ranging from the People’s Republic of China’s pacing challenge to Sweden’s upcoming formal accession as the 32nd NATO member. We also addressed the issue of burden sharing and building a stronger, more sustainable NATO that will be prepared to meet future challenges.” 

“The 2023 NATO Summit was an important opportunity to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the NATO Alliance as we face continued aggression from Russia in Ukraine, provocation from China, and other rising threats,” said Senator Tillis. “After many successful meetings, it is clear that Russia’s aggression has unified our allies and partners against the threat to democracy, and as co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, I was proud to work with Senator Shaheen and my colleagues to show the Senate’s commitment to that effort. With Sweden’s imminent accession to NATO after this meeting, the Alliance will only continue to grow more unified, and it is more important than ever that the partner nations commit to reaching the two percent goals with the United States so we can continue to bolster and strengthen the Alliance.” 

In their opening remarks and during a question and answer session with reporters, the Senators reaffirmed the United States’ strong bipartisan support in the Senate for Ukraine, the transatlantic Alliance and the announcement that Sweden will formally join as the 32nd member of NATO. The Senators also addressed a number of shared security challenges facing the Alliance, including topics such as burden sharing. 

Shaheen and Tillis lead bipartisan efforts in the Senate in support of the transatlantic Alliance, and specifically around Finland and Sweden's accession into NATO. Earlier this month, Shaheen and Tillis co-led a resolution with Senators Durbin and Grassley (R-IA) underscoring the top priorities for the U.S. Senate ahead of the Vilnius Summit, including countering China, responding to Putin's aggression in the Black Sea region and ensuring Sweden's formal accession. Shaheen and Tillis led the U.S. delegation to the NATO Summit in Madrid last year, and previously traveled together to the NATO Summit in Brussels in 2018. 

Original source can be found here.