The Modern NATO

The year was 1980, and the 21-year-old son of Norwegian Defense Minister Thorvald Stoltenberg accompanied his dad on a trip to the United States. The talk of the town, according to the son, centered on concern over the U.S. distancing itself from Europe. Decades later, the same fear permeates political discussions. But the Defense Minister’s son, Jens, says the U.S.-Europe relationship is the strongest in the world; and he would know, since he now leads the 28-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as its Secretary General.

Jens Stoltenberg is making his rounds in Washington this week, during a critical time for the transatlantic partnership. At a bilateral meeting with Stoltenberg on Monday, President Barack Obama said, “NATO continues to be the linchpin, the cornerstone of our collective defense and U.S. security policy.” The Pentagon recently announced that constant rotations of an additional armored brigade of approximately 4,200 troops will begin in eastern Europe in 2017.