NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday encouraged U.S. lawmakers to continue funding Ukraine in its war against Russia, warning that Beijing and other authoritarian powers will be emboldened should Russian President Vladimir Putin succeed.

Stoltenberg appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and warned that Beijing is closely watching the allies’ response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

"What matters is that Ukraine gets continued support because we need to realize that this is closely watched in Beijing," he said.

He argued that the U.S., Europe and other parts of the world will be made more vulnerable if Putin "gets what he wants in Ukraine."

"It is important that Putin doesn’t get his way in Ukraine," the NATO chief said. "That will embolden other authoritarian powers. Today it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it might be Taiwan."

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and believes it must be reunified with the mainland.

Stoltenberg is meeting with top U.S. defense officials and lawmakers this week to discuss the continued funding to Ukraine, which is being tied up in Congress over a dispute on U.S. border policies and other political issues.

Ukraine's aid remains a divisive issue, with critics flagging Ukraine's longtime struggles with corruption.

Five Ukrainian officials were arrested over the weekend for allegedly stealing nearly $40 million in funds meant to purchase military equipment for the war against Russia. Ukraine's security service said members of the defense ministry conspired with members of a Ukrainian arms firm to embezzle the funds, which were meant to purchase 100,000 mortar shells.

Can NATO's chief convince Trump allies to approve Ukraine aid?

Insights from The New York Times, Le Monde, Semafor, and LRT

The News

NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is in Washington, D.C. this week in an effort to convince conservative lawmakers and former President Donald Trump’s allies to approve $60 billion in funding for Ukraine.

Stoltenberg met with Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle on Tuesday, and is set to give a speech Wednesday to the Heritage Foundation, a Trump-aligned conservative think tank that has previously lobbied against Ukraine aid.

“I’m confident that all NATO Allies, also the United States, will continue to provide support to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said in a press conference Monday. “It will be a tragedy for Ukrainians if President Putin wins, but it will also make the world more dangerous.”

SIGNALS

NATO faces Republican skepticism about Ukraine aid and the alliance itself

The NATO chief may struggle to get much traction for Ukraine aid among Republicans, who remain divided over a deal that would trade stricter border policies for $106 billion in aid for Israel and Ukraine. The text of the deal is expected as early as next week, Politico reported, setting up a struggle between Senate Republicans who largely support the bipartisan package and a Trump-backed conservative faction in the House that is seeking to torpedo it. House Speaker Mike Johnson told Baltic lawmakers Tuesday that the package would likely have to be split up in another sign that he believes the deal would be “dead on arrival in the House,” Semafor reported. French President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe must “organize itself” to avoid the impact on the ground in Ukraine if U.S. aid were to stop. The GOP may cause more headaches for Stoltenberg and NATO, as European officials fear that a re-elected Trump may seek to pull the U.S. out of the alliance. Trump reportedly told European leaders during his presidency that the U.S. would “never come help” if Europe was attacked.

NATO prepares for ‘technocratic’ Washington summit in July

Jens Stoltenberg is also gearing up for a NATO summit this summer in Washington, D.C., which could be his last, as the longest-reigning leader of the alliance prepares to leave the post in October. While the summit will herald NATO’s 75th anniversary, it currently “promises to be a technocratic affair that does little to alter the status quo,” analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote, noting that “implementation” was the buzzword du jour among NATO officials.

At the last Washington summit in 1999, NATO welcomed the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. This year, Ukraine looks less likely to get a warm welcome from the alliance. “It’s not clear whether we will see such an invitation in Washington. I think we have to acknowledge that there’s a debate going on in many NATO member states,” a NATO official told LRT, a Lithuanian news outlet. While Ukraine’s Eastern European allies are pushing for Kyiv to get its NATO membership invite at the summit, they face opposition from the U.S. and Germany, who believe it is too soon to grant Ukraine membership while the country is at war, Foreign Policy reported.

NATO chief Stoltenberg in Washington to drum up support for $60 billion in U.S. aid for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan about NATO allies’ unflinching support for Ukraine as Russia continues its war of aggression and conquest, the White House reported.

Allied progress in ramping up defense production was discussed, as well as Russia’s procurement of North Korean military equipment for use against Ukraine. They also underscored Allies’ shared commitment to military readiness and to defending every inch of NATO territory.

The pair discussed planning for the July 2024 NATO Summit in Washington and NATO’s improved military readiness.

They welcomed Turkey’s recent approval of Sweden’s NATO membership and expressed a shared desire to see Sweden join the Alliance as soon as possible.

Stoltenberg plans to meet with representatives from the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and legislators and allies of former U.S. President Donald Trump. His trip is aimed at obtaining $60 billion dollars in financing for Ukraine.

Stoltenberg also met with U.S. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin and discussed the production of weapons, specifically for use by Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

The way to a lasting and just peace is the continuation and increase of military aid to Ukraine from Western allies, Stoltenberg said during a joint press conference with U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken.