WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Senate NATO Observer Group (SNOG), has joined a bipartisan resolution to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It comes in anticipation of the 2024 NATO Summit which will take place July 9-11 in Washington, D.C.

The resolution expresses support for the NATO Alliance, recognizes its accomplishments over the past 75 years, celebrates the new allies that have recently joined, and highlights the importance of future enlargement. The text also encourages allies to meet Alliance spending targets, lists China as an emerging threat, and acknowledges the impact that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has had on the security of our allies in Europe and the global economy.

“As Putin wages an unprovoked, illegal war in Ukraine, we continue to recognize the critical importance of NATO in defense of democracy, peace, and freedom,” said Senator King. “This resolution highlights the organization’s role over the last 75 years in deterring conflicts, increasing capabilities in the Arctic, and expanding democratic values across Europe. As we convene in Washington next month—and look forward to the next 75 years—let us continue working together to support the alliance so that more people across the world may live in peace and freedom.”

More specifically, this resolution:

• Celebrates the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding and welcomes all NATO members and observers to the 75th Annual Summit in June 2024, in Washington, D.C.
• Applauds the addition of Finland and Sweden to the alliance.
• Continues to affirm the importance of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
• Strongly calls on all NATO member states to immediately meet their obligations and raise their defense spending levels above the 2 percent GDP target.
• Encourages NATO to build closer ties with the Indo-Pacific to confront the challenges posed by the deepening partnership and alignment between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China.
• Reaffirms the importance of nuclear deterrence in NATO planning and supports the modernization and development of new systems.

Senator King, most recently, sent a letter to Swedish Ambassador Urban Ahlin, calling Sweden’s new membership in NATO a “historic achievement” and thanked Sweden for its commitment to defending democracy. At the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, King toured the Pabrade Training Area with US Army leaders, met with key NATO officials, and received updates on Russia’s attack on Ukraine. During that summit, he shared that “History will show that Vladimir Putin did more for NATO than any public leader in the history of the world. NATO has never been stronger. It's never been more unified. It's never been more solid in terms of its plans and its future. And to that extent, it is because of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.” His full remarks from that trip can be found here.

In addition to King, the resolution is also cosponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jim Risch (R-ID), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE).

The full text of the resolution can be found here.

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