Neither the United States nor Europe can go it alone because they are safer and stronger together, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the foundation of NATO.

“I don't believe in America alone, just as I don't believe in Europe alone. I believe in America and Europe together in NATO because we are stronger and safer together,” Stoltenberg said at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.

Seventy-five years ago, on 4 April 1949, the foreign ministers of the United States, Canada and 10 European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom) signed a treaty in Washington establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

The treaty was signed and aimed at curbing the risk of Soviet control spreading from Eastern Europe to the rest of the continent. The signatory states undertook to defend each other in the event of military aggression against any one of them.

“Two World Wars, the Cold War and every challenge we have faced since then have taught us that we need each other,” Stoltenberg said.

“Europe needs America for its security. Fair burden sharing is essential, and Europe is investing more. At the same time, North America also needs Europe. European Allies provide world-class militaries, vast intelligence networks and unique diplomatic leverage,” he added.

Over the last 75 years, NATO has grown from the initial 12 member states to 32 member states today. That's why the ceremony was briefly addressed by the foreign ministers of the countries that had joined the alliance 25 years ago (the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland), 20 years ago (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia), and 15 years ago (Albania and Croatia).

The main topic of the two-day NATO meeting, which was convened to celebrate the 75th anniversary and to prepare for the Alliance summit in July in Washington, is how to ensure more reliable and predictable support for Ukraine so that such support does not depend on political changes, primarily in the United States where Donald Trump stands a good chance of re-entering the White House. During his first term from 2017 to 2021, Trump repeatedly questioned NATO's core principle of collective defence.

On Wednesday, the first day of the ministerial meeting, the foreign ministers agreed to continue planning for a greater role of the Alliance in coordinating security assistance to Ukraine.

“Today Allies have agreed to move forward with planning for a greater NATO role in coordinating security assistance and training,” Stoltenberg told a press conference after the first day of the ministerial meeting.

“The details will take shape in the weeks to come. But make no mistake. Ukraine can rely on NATO support now, and for a long haul,” he added.

The NATO secretary-general proposed a €100 billion five-year package to ensure reliable assistance to Ukraine in case of any political changes.