McConnell Previews His Message to NATO Allies
‘[T]his new chapter of realism and resolve cannot end with Ukraine. Because the long-term threats and challenges that we face go much deeper… These challenges are multifaceted, they are global, and they are only growing. So I look forward to talking to our allies in Munich — both about America’s resolve to lead… and Europe’s responsibility to shoulder more of the load.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding foreign policy:
“Putin’s brutal war on Ukraine has forced both us Americans and our friends in Europe to take long, hard looks at our countries’ commitments to military spending and self-defense.
“NATO and the West have let important capabilities atrophy over time.
“Like defense funding.
“Like military modernization.
“Like looking after our defense-industrial base, which creates good American jobs, ensures our own security, and allows us to be the arsenal for our friends and allies.
“It serves America’s core national interests for us to exercise strong leadership in the world.
“Our security and Europe’s security are interlinked. Our economies are intertwined.
“But the rest of NATO must do more to follow our lead, increase defense spending, upgrade their capabilities, and put skin in the game.
“Tomorrow, I’ll be taking this message directly to our European friends in person.
“With a number of our colleagues, I’ll be traveling to the Munich Security Conference.
“I’ll come as a staunch supporter of NATO, but I’ll come with homework assignments for our European friends. I will speak as a friend, but I will speak frankly.
“Hard power is what kept the peace during the Cold War. Our allies have got to reinvest in it.
“In the short term, both America and our allies need to serve our own interests by investing in the munitions and weapons systems that will help Ukraine defeat the invasion.
“But this new chapter of realism and resolve cannot end with Ukraine. Because the long-term threats and challenges that we face go much deeper.
“A nuclear-armed Russia poses a threat to the United States and NATO.
“And China poses an even greater threat still to American interests and those of our allies.
“These challenges are multifaceted, they are global, and they are only growing.
“So I look forward to talking to our allies in Munich — both about America’s resolve to lead… and Europe’s responsibility to shoulder more of the load.”
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Related Issues: Ukraine, National Security, China, NATO, Russia
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