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Zelenskyy visits NATO headquarters in Brussels as leaders discuss Ukraine support

Nick Schifrin Nick Schifrin

Zeba Warsi Zeba Warsi

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/zelenskyy-visits-nato-headquarters-in-brussels-as-leaders-meet-discuss-ukraine-support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced trip to Brussels Wednesday, his first time visiting NATO headquarters. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted him and 50 other leaders for a meeting on continuing to arm Ukraine as the U.S. government also works on how best to arm Israel. Nick Schifrin reports from Brussels.

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Geoff Bennett:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced trip to Brussels today, his first time visiting NATO headquarters.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted him and 50 other leaders for a meeting on continuing to arm Ukraine, as Austin and the entire U.S. government also work on how best to arm Israel.

Nick Schifrin is in Brussels tonight and joins us now.

So, Nick, first on Ukraine, what was Ukraine's message to the world?

Nick Schifrin:

Well, the message that Ukraine wants to hear is that the world will continue to support Ukraine, despite the war in Israel, and that's the message that the U.S. and the West tried to send, certainly, today.

Zelenskyy came here asking for, as he always does, weapons, weapons for the counteroffensive, longer-range rockets, and critical air defense, ahead of what is expected to be another Russian campaign targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure this winter.

But he also admitted that he asked Western leaders whether they could continue to support Ukraine, despite the war in Israel, and he did not seem reassured by the answer.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:

My question was that, will your support will be less than now? Even now, during the election period in the United States, you see the challenges, yes, there.

The partner says no. But who knows how it will be? I think nobody knows.

Now, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown, did say that the U.S. would continue to support both Israel and Ukraine.

NATO allies promised $2 billion worth of assistance, including $200 million from the U.S. But even before Israel, Geoff, administration officials were struggling to get their latest aid package for Ukraine through the Congress. They have got about $1.6 billion left in replenishment stocks, that is, replenishing U.S. stocks that are sent to Ukraine.

That could really last as few as a few weeks, Geoff. And so that is why the administration really wants to see the House of Representatives in order and Congress pass another Ukraine aid package.

What is Israel asking the U.S. for? And does that in any way complicate weapons deliveries for Ukraine?

Israel's asks have not been finalized, according to multiple senior officials that I'm speaking to.

But there are three things obvious that are on the list, number one, of course, Iron Dome interceptors that have been discussed widely. The U.S. is also accelerating existing contracts for precision-guided munitions, specifically small diameter bombs that Israel already purchased from Boeing, and those already landed in Israel.

And the third, the administration is looking at additional precision-guided munitions that the U.S. already has in its inventory. As for whether there is some overlap between Ukraine and Israeli asks, as for now, Geoff, the answer is no, because of the different systems that Israel and Ukraine use.

But senior officials do tell me that they are worried that, as the war in Israel becomes protracted, that could mean the possibility that Israeli asks and Ukrainian asks could overlap.

Well, on that point, how concerned is the Biden administration about the potential for this war to widen?

Yes, in the words of a senior defense administration official, the administration is — quote — "deeply concerned" that Lebanese Hezbollah especially could enter the war.

And we have seen in the last few hours some skirmishes on Israel's northern border, including a false alarm about drones and gliders crossing that border. U.S. officials insist this is why they have sent the most visible form of military deterrence that they have, an aircraft carrier strike group, which is off the coast of Israel.

But they also admit that keeping the war contained between Israel and Gaza will be increasingly difficult, as there are — as there is a protracted campaign in Gaza and there are more civilian casualties. And that drawn-out campaign, Geoff, has some administration officials worried about their ongoing efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and even their moral authority across the world.

And lastly, Nick, I understand you have a tragic update to a story we aired earlier this week.

Yes, Geoff, this is the story of Shaylee Atary and Yahav Winner that we brought to you on Monday night, how Yahav held off Hamas militants in their home in Southern Israel as Shaylee escaped their home with their 1-month-old baby.

The two of them had been together for 10 years. She called him her best friend. They waited a long time to have that baby. And we learned that, unfortunately, Yahav died in the original attack, leaving behind his wife and his baby, Shaya.

Our hearts certainly go out to her and her daughter.

Nick Schifrin reporting tonight from Brussels.

Nick, thank you.

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Nick Schifrin is PBS NewsHour’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent. He leads NewsHour’s daily foreign coverage, including multiple trips to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, and has created weeklong series for the NewsHour from nearly a dozen countries. The PBS NewsHour series “Inside Putin’s Russia” won a 2017 Peabody Award and the National Press Club’s Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence. In 2020 Schifrin received the American Academy of Diplomacy’s Arthur Ross Media Award for Distinguished Reporting and Analysis of Foreign Affairs. He was a member of the NewsHour teams awarded a 2021 Peabody for coverage of COVID-19, and a 2023 duPont Columbia Award for coverage of Afghanistan and Ukraine. Prior to PBS NewsHour, Schifrin was Al Jazeera America's Middle East correspondent. He led the channel’s coverage of the 2014 war in Gaza; reported on the Syrian war from Syria's Turkish, Lebanese and Jordanian borders; and covered the annexation of Crimea. He won an Overseas Press Club award for his Gaza coverage and a National Headliners Award for his Ukraine coverage. From 2008-2012, Schifrin served as the ABC News correspondent in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2011 he was one of the first journalists to arrive in Abbottabad, Pakistan, after Osama bin Laden’s death and delivered one of the year’s biggest exclusives: the first video from inside bin Laden’s compound. His reporting helped ABC News win an Edward R. Murrow award for its bin Laden coverage. Schifrin is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a board member of the Overseas Press Club Foundation. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a Master of International Public Policy degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Zeba Warsi is a foreign affairs producer, based in Washington DC. She's a Columbia Journalism School graduate with an M.A. in Political journalism.

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At NATO, Zelensky Secures More Ukraine Aid as Allies Balance Support for Israel

The surprise appearance by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine came as much of the West has turned its focus to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

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By Lara Jakes and Constant Méheut

Lara Jakes reported from Brussels and Constant Méheut from Paris.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine made a surprise visit to NATO headquarters on Wednesday, urging the military alliance to maintain its flow of weapons to his country for its war against Russia, even as much of the West turns its attention to the brutal outbreak of violence in Israel.

Top NATO officials sought to reassure Mr. Zelensky, pledging more than $2 billion in additional military aid to be delivered before Ukraine’s winter sets in.

“Your fight is our fight, your security is our security, and your values are our values,” Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, said at the start of two days of meetings among the alliance’s defense chiefs. “And we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

But Mr. Zelensky later said that “of course, everybody’s afraid” that Western assistance would dwindle as the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues.

“Who knows how it will be,” Mr. Zelensky said at an appearance with Belgium’s prime minister after meeting with top defense officials from NATO members. “I think nobody knows.”

Mr. Zelensky’s visit to the military alliance’s headquarters in Brussels was a stark reminder of the 19-month-old conflict on NATO’s doorstep, amid concerns that the war in Israel, which broke out this past weekend, could eventually divert resources from Ukraine.

An initial package of weapons shipped directly from the United States arrived in Israel on Wednesday morning, according to video posted on X by the Israeli defense ministry.

Mr. Zelensky said that he was counting on Ukraine’s strong relations with the United States and the European Union to ensure that assistance to his country would continue. Still, he urged nations to rally behind the Israeli people, and compared the assault by Hamas to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Senior NATO officials privately conceded that Ukraine might have cause for concern, given the violence in Israel and the budget fight in the United States Congress that threatens American war funding. At least some of the American weapons flow could dry up in a matter of months if the money is not approved quickly, according to one senior U.S. official who spoke to journalists in Brussels on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal debate more frankly.

“In the immediate term right now, we can continue to support, with the authorities and appropriations we have, Israel and Ukraine,” John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, told journalists in Washington. “But we’re certainly running out of runway.”

But the U.S. official and other experts also said that a diversion of weapons to Israel at Ukraine’s expense is not expected to happen in the near future, since the two countries use different kinds of air defenses to protect their respective territories.

And at least eight NATO states pledged additional reinforcements — including air defense systems, 155-millimeter ammunition and tanks — to speed to Ukraine as the two days of meetings began among the alliance’s defense ministers.

At NATO, Mr. Zelensky said he was counting on the West to supply more air defenses, long-range missiles and artillery to help his country “survive this next winter.”

He also repeated his assertion that Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, seeks to foment chaos and conflict in the Middle East to undermine support for Kyiv, noting that Moscow still has enough weapons, personnel and other resources “to incite conflicts and turn that into full scale tragedies.”

“This is happening in the Sahel,” he said, referring to a region in sub-Saharan Africa, “and it can happen even more painfully in Israel and in the Middle East as a whole. We must not allow this to happen. We can prevent it.”

Mr. Putin, for his part, assailed the United States for a second consecutive day, saying it was inflaming another international crisis with the Israeli-Hamas war. Speaking at an energy conference on Wednesday, Mr. Putin accused Washington of acting recklessly in the Middle East by sidestepping international efforts to mediate between the sides and said it had failed to address fundamental Palestinian grievances.

The United States has committed about $44 billion in weapons and military support to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, and on Wednesday announced that it would ship more air defense missiles, artillery, rockets and counter-drone equipment in a new package worth about $200 million. This week it delivered the remainder of 31 M1 Abrams tanks that the Biden administration promised to give Ukraine in January, according to Col. Martin O’Donnell, a U.S. Army spokesman in Europe.

“In terms of our ability to continue to support both the efforts in Ukraine and support our efforts in Israel, as well — absolutely, we can do both,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said after meeting with the other defense ministers. “And we will do both.”

Officials said the Biden administration would also step up its involvement in a coalition led by Denmark and the Netherlands to donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, although the warplanes are not expected to be delivered until next year at the very earliest.

From Canada to Spain to Bulgaria, other allies also pledged new packages of weapons and aid.

The largest was committed by Germany, which announced on Tuesday it would send about $1.1 billion in Patriot missiles and IRIS-T air defense systems, and 10 more Leopard tanks.

Most of the additional assistance — which also included donations from Britain, France and Sweden — sought to answer Ukraine’s needs to defend its skies from Russian airstrikes, and for artillery and ammunition.

NATO officials will hear on Thursday from Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, in a video briefing at the close of the military alliance’s meetings this week.

For now, the air defenses that Israel may seek from the United States include Tamir interceptors — missiles that are used in Israel’s Iron Dome system. They have not been sent to Ukraine, which has depended on a mix of air defense systems that are manufactured and used in the United States and Europe.

“There is no competition between Israel and Ukraine worth mentioning for those capabilities,” said Bradley Bowman, a former U.S. Army officer and senior military expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington research institute.

Where the needs for weapons could overlap between Ukraine and Israel, Mr. Bowman said, is in munitions and other ground warfare systems, if Israel launches a lengthy building-to-building rout of Hamas in Gaza. Ukraine’s forces have burned through thousands of munitions each day in their counteroffensive against Russia — a war of attrition that has left troops on the front lines pleading for more ammunition.

“If we see a major ground war in Gaza of extended duration, the weapons Israel needs from the U.S. may begin to overlap with some of the weapons Ukraine needs,” Mr. Bowman said. “But a prospective competition between Ukraine and Israel for the same weapons could certainly be managed.”

At NATO, Mr. Zelensky again emphasized how valuable it was to have the backing of allies, and urged world leaders ”to go to Israel and add their support.”

“I remember the first days of our full-scale war — it began from terroristic attacks,” he told journalists shortly after arriving Wednesday. “It was very important to not be alone.”

Ivan Nechepurenko contributed reporting from Tbilisi, Georgia, and Peter Baker from Washington.

An earlier version of this article misidentified one of the countries leading a coalition to donate F-16 jets to Ukraine. It is Denmark, not Norway.

How we handle corrections

Lara Jakes is a foreign correspondent focused on the war in Ukraine. She has been a diplomatic and military correspondent in Washington and a war correspondent in Iraq, and has reported and edited from more than 60 countries over the last 25 years. More about Lara Jakes

Constant Méheut has covered France from the Paris bureau of The Times since 2020. More about Constant Méheut

Our Coverage of the Middle East Crisis

Israeli Strikes in Lebanon :   As world leaders gathered for the U.N. General Assembly, Israeli warplanes pounded more Hezbollah targets in Lebanon , sending thousands fleeing their homes .

Biden Works Against the Clock:   President Biden is beginning to acknowledge that he is simply running out of time to help forge a cease-fire and hostage deal with Hamas , his aides say.

Feeling Forgotten:   With all eyes on Israel’s escalating battle with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the families of Israeli hostages and Gazans fear that their plight will be shoved aside .

Why Israel Is Escalating:   Israel’s intensifying strikes in Lebanon show how determined it is to stop Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks — and how far it is from achieving that goal .

Diplomacy Takes a Back Seat:   After years of failed Mideast peace deals and tit-for-tat violence, neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians believe their adversaries will ever negotiate in good faith .

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In 1999 the official decision was made to build a new NATO headquarters. Nineteen years later, on March 19, 2018, this ambitious project entered its final phase with more than 4,000 NATO employees gradually crossing the street. Three months later, by the end of June, all 29 Allies have moved in.

Since the construction of the old NATO headquarters in 1967, the number of NATO Member States has almost doubled (from 15 to 29) and several partner countries have opened diplomatic representations. As a result, the previous headquarters became considerably overcrowded and the maintenance costs increased accordingly.

The new NATO headquarters stands ready for potential further enlargement and was designed to face the challenges of the future. For example, the new headquarters has advanced information and communication technologies. In addition, a great deal of attention was paid to sustainability and environmental friendliness. It catches the eye with its 72,000 m2 of well-insulated and sun-resistant glass surface that keeps energy consumption down.

After an intensive preparation, the move-in ran smoothly. The Belgian delegation continues to play its role as host nation in the new, modern and green NATO headquarters.

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The Supreme Allied Commander Europe

One of the two strategic commanders for NATO and the commanding officer of Allied Command Operations (ACO). The current SACEUR is General Cavoli. The SACEUR is responsible to NATO's Military Committee, the highest military authority in NATO, for the overall direction and conduct of military operations for NATO. SACEUR, a United States Flag or General officer, leads all NATO military operations and is dual-hatted as Commander US European Command. His command is exercised from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) at Casteau, Mons, Belgium.

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Biden visit and NATO summit will disrupt traffic in Brussels: Find out where and when

President of the United States Joe Biden will be landing in Belgium on Sunday evening and will stay in Brussels from 13 to 15 June, which will result in the closing off of several districts in the region and the disruption of traffic.

The president will be in the capital alongside dozens of heads of state for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit, which will take place on Monday 14 June, at the NATO Headquarters in Evere, and during which the NATO 2030 future plan is expected to be approved.

In recognition of the summit, Brussels will be coloured NATO blue for the next few days, including the city hall and the fountain at Montgomery's roundabout, whilst Manneken Pis will be dressed in a NATO-themed costume.

An estimated 2,000 police officers, some in uniform, and others who will be in plainclothes, 300 motorcyclists, and members of State Security and military intelligence are being called in to give every delegation an appropriate escort and security.

The city will also be surveyed by helicopters, dog brigades and special units of the Federal Police, which, among other things, will provide snipers who will be deployed in and around all sensitive locations.

For the president specifically, wherever he and "his bubble" pass or are located, everything will be shut off, going as far as manholes in the specific area being sealed off, and all the newly re-opened cafes closing their doors.

Meanwhile, anyone who lives or works within the security perimeter around the president must apply for a pass at least 72 hours in advance to enter the perimeter.

Preparations have been ongoing for a long time, and as Biden will be travelling in a procession of some 15 black limousines containing his presidential staff and communications team, it is sure to cause a certain amount of disruption to the everyday way of life in certain parts of Brussels.

Public transport operator STIB has already advised all its users to avoid travel by bus and to instead use the underground transport network, but it warned that, throughout the visit, access to different metro stations (Trône, Arts-Loi, Porte de Namur, Louise) will certainly be closed, some in real-time.

So, when will the disruption begin, and where will it affect Brussels most?

Sunday 13 June

Biden will land at Melsbroek in the afternoon, where he will be met by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, after which he will be driven to the American embassy next to the Royal Park in Brussels, where he will be staying until Tuesday 15 June.

During his entire stay, both Rue Ducale and the side road, Boulevard du Régent, will be closed between the intersections with Rue de la Loi on one side and Rue Lambermont on the other, and part of the city's park will be closed off with barriers.

In addition, traffic in the vicinity of Place Jourdan will also be disrupted, which will result in bus lines 59, 60, and 80 being diverted via Chaussée d'Etterbeek between noon and 10:30 PM.

Traffic in the Schuman neighbourhood is also expected to be affected, whilst bus lines 12, 21, 36, 56, 60, and 79 will be diverted via Maelbeek between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM.

Monday 14 June 

As the NATO summit will be taking place on this day, additional disruption is expected. A large area around the NATO HQ in Evere will be closed off until the last person has left, which is expected to be around 5:00 PM.

This includes Avenue A201/Leopold III which passes in front of the NATO site, which will be closed off all day in both directions between the Brussels Ring road and the intersection with Avenue Jules Bordet.

Bus line 12 will be diverted via the Chaussée de Haecht and line 62 will be restricted to Da Vinci. Line 55 will continue to run until the Da Vinci terminus from 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM.

The end of the E19 (Machelen exit), the Brussels Ring, the E40 between the Ring and Boulevard Reyers, Rue de la Loi, Rue Belliard, Boulevard de Waterloo, Boulevard du Toison d'Or, and the Brussels inner ring road will also be temporarily closed throughout the day, as will several tunnels in the capital.

Obstruction is expected for bus lines 12, 21, 27, and 64, whilst lines 12, 21, and 27 will be limited to Maelbeek, line 64 will be limited to Ambiorix, between 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM.

The same disruptions are expected in the Schuman area as on 13 June, between 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM.

Tuesday 15 June

The president will be visiting the Royal Palace, to the left side of the Royal Park from the American Embassy, to meet King Philippe and De Croo. Traffic congestion is expected in the vicinity of the Royal Palace on the same day.

Public transport lines 12, 27, 38, 54, 71, 95, 92, and 93 will be affected, and in the area around Trône/Porte de Namur, the bus lines will be diverted or limited between 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM.

STIB has said tramlines will not be restricted but will have to remain in place for a few minutes. Disruptions are expected from 9:30 AM to just past noon.

Traffic congestion is expected in and around the European Quarter as Biden will be meeting with the heads of all the European Institutions for lunch.

Bus lines will be restricted in the area around Maelbeek/Schuman/Marnix/Place Luxembourg from 10:30 AM until 1:30 PM.

Around 14:30 PM, Biden will travel back to Melsbroek, from where his Air Force One will fly to Geneva where he will be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to Visit Brussels for NATO Defense Ministerial and Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meetings

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will travel to Brussels, Belgium, next week to participate in the NATO Defense Ministerial, Oct. 12-13 at NATO Headquarters. This will be the first Defense Ministerial since the NATO Madrid Summit in June 2022 and the first Ministerial that Finland and Sweden will join as Invitees.  Ministers will discuss implementation of decisions endorsed at Madrid and provide guidance for future planning efforts.  

While in Brussels, Secretary Austin will be joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley to conduct an in-person meeting October 12th of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.  This will be the sixth meeting of the UDCG and the fourth in-person session since the international group was formed in April.  They will join ministers of defense and chiefs of defense from nearly 50 nations from around the world to discuss Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, and the continued close coordination to provide the Ukrainian people with the means necessary to defend their sovereign territory.

Media Program (All times in Central European Time):

13:00 – Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meeting Opening remarks by Secretary Austin  17:30 – Press conference with Secretary Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley 

17:30 – Press conference with Secretary Austin

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A live-stream of Secretary Austin’s opening remarks and the post-meeting press conference will be available on https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events/ and CCTV at NATO HQ.

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SEEBRIG delegation visit to the NATO SHAPE in Mons and NATO HQ in Brussels

SEEBRIG delegation headed by the COMSEEBRIG, Brigadier General Bilbil BITRI conducted working visits to NATO SHAPE in Mons and NATO HQ in Brussels, Belgium, on 17th and 18th of March 2024.

On 17th of March BG Bilbil BITRI conducted an office call with Vice Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Lieutenant General Hubert COTTEREAU. During the meeting COMSEEBRIG gave an overview about SEEBRIG and discussed the idea of SEEBRIG to become more active contributor to the security and stability in the South-Eastern Europe region.

Besides that, the SEEBRIG delegation had the opportunity to present to the NATO NMRs echelon in NATO ACO about SEEBRIG plans, perspectives, and main activities.

On 18th of March the SEEBRIG delegation visited the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC) in NATO HQ. During the meeting both sides delivered information briefings about their organizations while used this meeting to strengthen the cooperation between these entities, got some fruitful insights for future exercises and workshops and shared the lessons learned in the area of common interest.

On the same day, the SEEBRIG team had additional meetings with representatives from the International Military Staff, NATO HQ in Brussels.  On separate forums with the Director of the Cooperative Security Division, MG Dacian-Tiberiu ȘERBAN and the Director of Operations and Planning Division, MG Ulf HAEUSSLER, there were discussed ways to improve the level of interaction between NATO entities and SEEBRIG. Another important topic of discussion was the NATO Training and Exercises (TREX) Program and how to align SEEBRIG planning with NATO planning process.

In addition to strengthening cooperation, exchange ideas and details for the future collaboration between NATO and SEEBRIG, above-mentioned visits served as an excellent opportunity for SEEBRIG to increase its visibility through interaction.

• NATO History

9/11 and beyond

NATO Leaders

Jens Stoltenberg

Jens Stoltenberg’s 10 years as NATO Secretary General were some of the most turbulent years in the Alliance’s history. The former Norwegian Prime Minister took office shortly after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. The following years saw major terrorist attacks in Allied countries, political upheavals that shook the Alliance and a once-in-a-century global pandemic – and that was all before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, bringing war to NATO’s borders.

Throughout this tempestuous decade, Jens Stoltenberg was a constant. With steady hands and a cool head, he guided the Alliance through crisis after crisis, remaining focused on what NATO could do to address the challenges it faced. He held the Alliance together, using his diplomatic skills to navigate disagreements and keep a growing number of Allies on the same page. He pushed the Allies to continue building their military strength for collective defence, while also preparing NATO for an uncertain future by putting climate change, artificial intelligence and China on the agenda. No wonder the Allies agreed unanimously to extend his mandate an unprecedented four times.

Stoltenberg on his first day in office, 1 October 2014

3,654 days at the helm

Behind these headline moments, Stoltenberg’s day-to-day life at NATO consisted of several activities: chairing the North Atlantic Council, meeting with Allies and partners to coordinate policy, welcoming world leaders to NATO Headquarters, travelling to member and partner countries across the globe, speaking to the media and leading the Alliance’s International Staff.

Despite this hectic schedule, Stoltenberg always made time to meet people and engage with them as NATO’s chief representative. One time, for example, as he was walking to the main entrance of NATO Headquarters to greet the King of Jordan, he ran into a group of visiting Polish and Ukrainian students. Even though he was in a rush, he took the time to chat with all of the students and take photos before resuming his official duties. 

Top left: Stoltenberg stops for a selfie at a conference, 2015. Top right: Stoltenberg greets an elder at a Qullig Lighting Ceremony during a visit to Canada, 26 August 2022. Bottom: Stoltenberg meets troops at US Special Operations Command headquarters, 1 February 2024

Stoltenberg showed the same friendly and informal spirit with his staff. He usually offered to make coffee himself for his staff ahead of long meetings, and he always kept a bowl with small bars of chocolate on the working table in his office. During difficult periods, such as negotiations on summit declarations, he would make impromptu visits to staff teams to thank them for their hard work, sometimes bringing them pizza as well as words of encouragement.

One of the biggest changes during Stoltenberg’s tenure was the inauguration of a new NATO Headquarters. The project had been planned long before his arrival, but in his first days at NATO, he was taken to the basement and shown some of the repairs and improvised cables that kept the old building together. This made him even more convinced of the importance of moving from the 50-year-old previous headquarters (which had been built in 1967 as a “temporary” HQ ) to a new building across the street in Brussels. 

To celebrate the move to the new HQ, Stoltenberg hosted a hot dog party for all NATO staff in the new building’s cavernous central agora. Stoltenberg insisted on serving food and taking photos with all the staff, and he convinced high-ranking officials to do the same. He carried on this tradition at an annual Christmas party for NATO staff, and he was known for giving massive portions of Norwegian salmon as Christmas gifts. After his final summit – NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington D.C. in July 2024 – he hosted a summer garden party behind NATO Headquarters to thank staff members for their dedication over the years.   

Stoltenberg at the new NATO Headquarters, 23 March 2018

A Norwegian in Brussels

Outside the office, Stoltenberg showed the same dedication to keeping a casual and down-to-earth atmosphere. At the Secretary General’s official residence in Brussels, Stoltenberg and his wife, Ingrid Schulerud, maintained a very active social calendar, hosting high-level guests (including his eventual successor, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte) as well as family and friends. 

In his home, Stoltenberg carried on a tradition of “kitchen table diplomacy” that he learned from his father, Thorvald Stoltenberg, who had served as Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence. As a child and young adult, Stoltenberg would come downstairs in the morning to find his father serving breakfast to diplomats and world leaders, including Nelson Mandela – pouring their coffee, discussing important topics over a simple meal of Norwegian mackerel, brown cheese and bread that he had bought from the local bakery that morning. This shocked the Norwegian protocol office, but Stoltenberg saw the value of opening his private home and setting an informal tone for genuine conversations.   

In addition to welcoming guests, Stoltenberg and Schulerud were warm and friendly with the residence staff, insisting on being referred to simply as Jens and Ingrid. Stoltenberg grew particularly close with the residence’s chef, learning how to make ice cream and other dishes. Stoltenberg and Schulerud also made several improvements to the Brussels residence for future Secretaries General and their guests, including installing a sauna in the principal guest bathroom.

Stoltenberg and Schulerud toasting guests at the residence on his first day in office, 1 October 2014

In his rare moments of personal time, Stoltenberg made the most of his life in Belgium, visiting battlefields and war cemeteries in and around the country, and also cycling in Brussels and the surrounding area. He also enjoyed attending cultural events in the Belgian capital, including performances by his daughter Catharina, an accomplished electronic musician. At her shows, he tried to blend into the crowd (his bodyguards had to dress down in shorts, with just their earpieces suggesting they were unusual concert attendees).

Travels around the world 

Beyond day-to-day life in Brussels, Stoltenberg travelled extensively, meeting with Heads of State and Government from NATO Allies and partners. He was the first Secretary General to make official visits to Malta and Saudi Arabia, and he even set foot in North Korea (albeit in the United Nations conference room that straddles the line of the Demilitarized Zone). He was also the first NATO Secretary General to make joint trips with a European Union leader, travelling with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Latvia and Lithuania in 2021, and a Norwegian natural gas platform in 2023. And he made a point to visit Utøya in Norway every July, to commemorate the terrorist attacks that took place there in 2011 when he was Prime Minister.   

NATO Secretary General visits Australia

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Sydney

NATO Secretary General visits Germany

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg walking at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

NATO Secretary General visits Japan

NATO Secretary General visits the Republic of Korea

Visit of Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO to the Republic of Korea. Wreath laying ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Ādaži Military Base meeting with the troops

NATO Secretary General visits exercise Cold Response in Norway

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Bardufoss, Norway, to visit Cold Response, a Norwegian-led exercise with participation from 27 NATO Allies and partners.

NATO Secretary General visits Sweden

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the Prime Minister of Sweden, Magdalena Andersson

NATO Secretary General visits London

Doorstep statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outside Number 10 after the meeting with Prime Minister Cameron

NATO Secretary General attends United Nations General Assembly

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attending the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly

Stoltenberg’s travels included many visits to Washington D.C., the birthplace of NATO. For NATO’s 70th anniversary in 2019, Stoltenberg became the first Secretary General to address a joint session of the United States Congress. On the occasion of the Alliance’s 75th anniversary in 2024, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Joe Biden in the same room where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed.

Left: Stoltenberg receives a standing ovation (one of many) during his address to a joint session of US Congress, 3 April 2019. Right: Stoltenberg receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Joe Biden at NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington D.C., 9 July 2024.

During his travels, Stoltenberg maintained his active lifestyle. His brisk walks often left staffers scrambling to keep up, including in the Swiss Alps, Tokyo’s Imperial Palace Gardens and Washington’s National Mall. Beyond staying fit, he also found time to experience local curiosities whenever possible. During an official visit to Australia, for example, he had his team pull off the highway to see some kangaroos in the wild (to the amusement of his Australian security detail).

Stoltenberg running with staff in Central Park during a visit to New York City for the UN General Assembly, September 2016

Support for Ukraine

No single issue impacted Stoltenberg’s tenure more than Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In the months leading up to Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, Stoltenberg held many press conferences calling out Russia’s massive military build-up along Ukraine’s borders, declassifying unprecedented amounts of NATO intelligence to provide proof and push back against the Kremlin’s lies. He nonetheless tried to maintain dialogue with Russia and de-escalate, including by chairing the NATO-Russia Council in January 2022.

Throughout the war, Stoltenberg worked tirelessly to ensure that the Allies were providing Ukraine with the support it needs to survive and to prevail. At NATO summits in Madrid (2022), Vilnius (2023) and Washington D.C. (2024), he helped Allies reach consensus on pledges of long-term, sustainable assistance for Ukraine – and repeated affirmations that it is on an irreversible path to NATO membership.

Stoltenberg in the Ukrainian Parliament during a visit to Kyiv, 29 April 2024

Of course, Stoltenberg also worked to make sure that NATO was prepared to defend its own territory in the event of a larger conflict. After Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, he pushed Allies to strengthen their military capabilities and step up deterrence and defence of NATO territory, including by setting up multinational battlegroups along NATO’s eastern flank. This ensured that NATO was able to trigger its defence plans within hours of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The next day, Stoltenberg chaired the first-ever virtual NATO summit, where Allied Leaders discussed defensive measures and pledged their support to Ukraine.

A growing Alliance

While Stoltenberg was not the Secretary General to welcome the most countries into NATO (that honour goes to Jaap de Hoop Scheffer , who brought in seven new Allies during the ‘Big Bang’ enlargement in 2004 and two more in 2009), he nonetheless oversaw the most rounds of NATO enlargement, welcoming Montenegro (2017), North Macedonia (2020), Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024).

Stoltenberg at the flag-raising ceremonies for Montenegro (top left), North Macedonia (top right), Finland (bottom left) and Sweden (bottom right)

Stoltenberg worked particularly hard to get consensus on the accessions of Finland and Sweden. On the eve of the 2022 Madrid Summit, he spent hours negotiating with the leaders of Finland, Sweden and Türkiye, emerging with a late-night deal that set the path to their membership. The talks took so long that Stoltenberg and his wife had to miss the official dinner at the Spanish Royal Palace, settling instead for a beer with the staff who had worked on the deal.

Signing ceremony between Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden

First row: Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Pekka Haavisto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Ann Linde of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Second row: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, President Sauli Niinistö of Finland and Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden

All four enlargements were historic developments for NATO, but Stoltenberg was especially moved by the integration of his fellow Nordic countries, particularly Sweden, into the Alliance. Shortly after Sweden’s accession, Stoltenberg joked with colleagues that not only had the country set aside 200 years of neutrality to join NATO – with even more difficulty, it had put aside its age-old rivalry with Norway. Indeed, the last time Norway was at war, it was with Sweden!

Life after NATO

After 10 years in Brussels, Stoltenberg was eager to return to his homeland, which he had visited frequently throughout his tenure. It’s never truly possible for the Secretary General of NATO to disconnect and get away from the demands of the job. But during holidays spent trekking around the Oslo fjord, cross-country skiing and hiking in the Norwegian mountains, Stoltenberg was able to find moments of peace. In Norway, in the wilderness, he didn’t have to be the former Prime Minister, or the Secretary General of NATO. As he put it, in these settings, “I am always just Jens.”

In his own words: NATO Through Time podcast episode with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. In this episode, Jens Stoltenberg reflects on his 10 years at NATO. He shares the personal motivations that led him to accept the job, and how his parents’ values and his own political activity as a young man shaped his views of NATO.

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