Defense Writers Group
June 1, 2022
Moderator: I always love introducing people who need no introductions. Most of you have known and worked with Ambassador Smith for years. She’s currently, of course, the U.S. Perm Rep to NATO but she has vast experience -- White House, Pentagon, elsewhere. I consider her basically this nation’s premier expert on Transatlantic relations.
As always, this is on the record. As I said, we’ll have one question from those who are asking. Let’s please not do follow-ups just so more people can get to questions in the half hour available to us. I’ll ask the opening question and then I’ll go to our list.
Ambassador Smith, we are truly honored to have you today. Thank you so much.
I’d like for you to say a few words, if you would, about the upcoming NATO Summit in Madrid. Clearly the Alliance will unveil its new Strategic Concept. That’s the blueprint for the Alliance going ahead. But there’s lots of big questions, how the Alliance will address Russia’s war in Ukraine, the significance of Finland and Sweden membership applications. So what are the administration’s goals heading into this important Alliance Summit?
Ambassador Smith: First of all, thank you for the invitation. It’s great to see some familiar faces and meet some new folks around the table.
