WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, spoke at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies about the recent NATO Summit and discussed the role that bipartisan Congressional leadership plays in tackling transatlantic security challenges.
Senator Tillis on the importance of NATO:
“The U.S. Congress understands that NATO is a very important part of securing freedom across the world, including in the United States and Europe. The Senate NATO Observer Group is important because I believe we’re going to see other nations wanting to join NATO. This is not a time where you retreat from any nation of any size who is living up to the very strict requirements to be a NATO member, this is the time to bring more into the family of nations.”
Senator Tillis on the U.S. withdrawing from NATO:
“I think there would be nothing more unifying than if any president, whether it’s President Trump or one of the 20 people that plan on running in 2020, were to actually seriously withdraw from NATO. I think it would create a unifying event unlike anything you’ve seen in U.S. history, in terms of actions the U.S. Congress would take. I don’t think President Trump intends to withdraw from NATO, I just think that is the way he tries to negotiate, but in this particular case I think he needs to know that is not the path we should go down.”
Senator Tillis on Russia’s threat to NATO:
“The way you can tell Vladimir Putin is being dishonest on Russian meddling in the U.S. or other nations is that his lips are moving. There is not an honest bone in his body in respects to how Russia is partaking in hybrid warfare, meddling in elections, or meddling in public policy. We have the data and intelligence to substantiate it, we have the input of our NATO allies and other partners, and we need to recognize that Russia is not an honest broker. A lot of work needs to be done on their behalf before we reach a level where we even consider a meaningful relationship with them.”
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