(15 Feb 2024) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Brussels - 15 February 2024 1. Wide of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arriving 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General: "This year, we expect the 18 allies to meet the target of spending 2% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on defense and European allies together spend 280 billion U.S. dollars on defense. And this is two percent of their combined GDP. But we still have a way to go because at our summit in Vilnius, last year, all our allies promised to spend 2% of GDP on defense and 2% is a minimum." ++BLACK FRAMES++ 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General: "We see the impact already of the fact that the US has not been able to make a decision but I expect the US to be able to make a decision, that the Congress and the House of Representatives will agree continued support to Ukraine because if we allow (Russian) President Putin to win, it will not only be bad for Ukraine, is a tragedy for Ukrainians, but it will also be dangerous for us. It will make the world even more dangerous and also more vulnerable. So therefore, it is in our security interest to do so. I visited the United States a couple of weeks ago and spent a lot of time with representatives from both sides of the aisle in the US Congress and the broad agreement there is for sustained support, and I count on the US Congress to be able to reflect that support in the decision to sustain the support for Ukraine." ++BLACK FRAMES++ 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General: "Article five, 'the commitment to defend all allies and that an attack on one ally will be an attack on,' all is the core of NATO, is the heart of NATO, and of course that applies for all allies. Because we know that any suggestion that we are not there to protect and defend all allies will undermine the security of all of us and put at risk our soldiers, our personnel who are on the frontlines to protect, the whole alliance. So, 'one for all, all for one' applies for all allies and it's the heart of NATO." ++BLACK FRAMES++ 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General: "(EU) are investing more in defense and NATO has called for that for many, many years. And NATO has also called for European allies to invest more in the high end capabilities, more forces, high readiness, and now European allies are delivering that. That's a good thing. But that's not an alternative to NATO, that's actually a way to strengthen NATO, and we should not pursue any path that indicates that we are trying to divide Europe from North America. The strength is that we have Europe and North America together in NATO." 6. Wide of Stoltenberg leaving STORYLINE: Before a meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) defense ministers in Brussels on Thursday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg highlighted the importance of all members meeting finance commitments and the importance of the US supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia. "This year, we expect the 18 allies to meet the target of spending 2% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on defense and European allies together spend 280 billion U.S. dollars on defense" Stoltenberg said. "We still have a way to go because at our summit in Vilnius, last year, all our allies promised to spend two percent of GDP on defense and 2% is a minimum," he added. Stoltenberg warned of the danger of Russia succeeding in Ukraine and suggested it would be "dangerous for us," adding that during a recent US trip he felt that any uncertainty regarding US financial support of Ukraine would be resolved. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4f14df6475fa4cd3aa7dae57a3a7732a