NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg laid out measures NATO had taken to bolster its readiness and defense against Russia in recent years during a joint session of Congress. | Alex Wong/Getty Images Foreign Policy NATO chief calls for confronting Russia in speech to Congress

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday called for the military alliance to stay united against an increasingly assertive Russia at a time when President Donald Trump's shaky commitment to NATO and efforts to engage Moscow have strained transatlantic relations.

But in delivering a historic speech to a joint session of Congress to commemorate the 70th anniversary of NATO’s founding, Stoltenberg also showed why he's considered a successful "Trump whisperer." He avoided overt criticism of the Republican president and in fact credited him for pushing other NATO countries to increase their defense spending.


Above all, Stoltenberg repeatedly stressed the value of NATO as an institution, one that he said has served as a bulwark against another world war and as a champion of freedom and democracy. The key, he said, is the belief in the importance of alliances.

"It is good to have friends," Stoltenberg said, twice, to loud bipartisan applause from U.S. lawmakers, who gave him frequent standing ovations throughout his remarks.

Stoltenberg's presence on Wednesday came as a result of bipartisan outreach. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, jointly extended the invitation to the NATO chief as an unambiguous signal that the alliance retains strong support from U.S. lawmakers of both parties, even if the president has been less than kind.

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The NATO leader devoted much of his speech to outlining the threats that Russia poses under its autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin.

Citing Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, its cyber aggression, its assassination campaigns, its support for the Syrian regime and its interference in foreign elections, Stoltenberg laid out measures NATO had taken to bolster its readiness and defense against Russia in recent years.

“We do all of this, not to provoke a conflict, but to prevent conflict and to preserve peace. Not to fight but to deter. Not to attack but to defend,” he said during his 40-minute speech.

But, Stoltenberg added, “there is no contradiction between the defense and dialogue. We do not want to isolate Russia. We strive for a better relationship with Russia."

Stoltenberg also demanded that Russia resume compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The pact required the United States and what was then the Soviet Union to "eliminate and permanently forswear all of their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers," according to the Arms Control Association.

But the Trump administration recently decided to quit the agreement, known as the INF treaty, saying it made no sense to adhere to it when Russia allegedly refused. The move has dismayed many military experts who warn it could presage a new arms race. While Stoltenberg nodded to these concerns, he also struck of a note support for the U.S. position.

“We do not want a new arms race. We do not want a new Cold War. But we must not be naive. An agreement that is only respected by one side will not keep us safe,” Stoltenberg said.

While the Trump administration has taken a number of steps to stand up to Russia, including imposing new economic sanctions, Trump himself has consistently sought ways to improve the relationship, alarming the defense and foreign policy establishment.

On Tuesday, during a meeting with Stoltenberg, Trump again predicted: “I think we’ll get along with Russia,” a striking moment given the NATO chief's concerns about Moscow.

Trump has also downplayed his own intelligence officials' accusations that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign with the intent of helping the reality TV star. He frequently blustered about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into that interference, which found extensive evidence of Russian digital trolling efforts but did not establish any criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

In his speech to lawmakers, Stoltenberg avoided wading into the thorny U.S.-Russian election debate that has so agitated Trump, although he did briefly refer to Russia's interference in democratic processes beyond its borders. He also discussed the importance of keeping up the fight against terrorism, mentioning the recent massacre of Muslim worshipers at a New Zealand mosque by a right-wing extremist.

Stoltenberg also credited Trump’s messaging on NATO defense spending, declaring that the U.S. leader's demands that allies bolster their military production was a reason that European countries are expected to spend tens of billions of dollars more on their defense in the coming years.

“NATO allies must spend more on defense,” he said. “This has been the clear message from President Trump and this message is having a real impact,” he added, drawing immediate applause from Vice President Mike Pence.

While Trump's complaints about NATO members' lack of defense spending has alarmed allies, they've been more worried about his seeming hesitation to commit to Article 5, the key concept at the core of the alliance that says an attack on one member is an attack on all of them.

Trump and his aides, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have at times refused to say if the U.S. will honor that mutual defense concept, especially for smaller countries in NATO who are geographically close to Russia.

Stoltenberg repeatedly stressed the importance of that "all for one and one for all ethos" in his speech.

“The strength of NATO is that despite our differences we have always been able to unite around our core task, to defend each other, protect each other, and to keep our people safe,” he said. “We have overcome our disagreements in the past. And we must overcome our differences now. Because we will need our alliance even more in the future. We face unprecedented challenges, challenges no one nation can can face alone.”

He also appeared to implicitly address reports that Trump has weighed pulling out of NATO altogether, warning that the alliance hadn't endured so long for nothing.

"Our alliance has not lasted for 70 years out of a sense of nostalgia or sentiment," he told lawmakers. "NATO lasts because it is in the national interest of each and every one of our nations."

Stoltenberg also reminded Congress that only time the alliance has ever had to invoke Article 5 was after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Since then, NATO troops have fought along U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Europeans are well-aware of the critical role America has played in defending them over the past seven decades, Stoltenberg stressed.

"America has been the backbone of our alliance," he said.