NATO will maintain 'open door' to those who may seek to join alliance: Biden

Washington [US], February 26 (ANI): US President Joe Biden on Friday (local time) said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will maintain its "open door" to those European states who share its values and who one day may seek to join our Alliance.
Biden's remarks came after he met with leaders from NATO Allies to discuss their shared commitment to collective defense and Transatlantic security, the White House said in a statement.
"As President Putin threatens the very foundations of international peace and security, NATO is once again demonstrating that it stands for freedom and democracy," Biden said.
He highlighted that the United States will defend "every inch of NATO territory".
Our commitment to Article 5 is ironclad. I have ordered the deployment of additional forces to augment our capabilities in Europe to support our NATO Allies, Biden said.
US President said that he welcomed the decision "to activate NATO's defensive plans and elements of the NATO Response Force to strengthen our collective posture as well as the commitments by our Allies to deploy additional land and air forces to the eastern flank and maritime forces from the High North to the Mediterranean."
"NATO is as united and resolute as it's ever been, and NATO will maintain its Open Door to those European states who share our values and who one day may seek to join our Alliance," Biden said.
After the NATO Summit, Biden spoke with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"I spoke with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. I commended the brave actions of the Ukrainian people who were fighting to defend their country. I also conveyed ongoing economic, humanitarian, and security support being provided by the United States as well as our continued efforts to rally other countries to provide similar assistance," Biden said. (ANI)