Joe Biden to meet with NATO leaders on March 24

Stoltenberg says the summit next week will be led by the U.S. President and will address the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he's convened a summit for next week of the military organisation's 30 leaders to discuss Russia's war on Ukraine.

Mr Stoltenberg says the March 24 summit will be led by U.S. President Joe Biden and “will address the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense in response to a new reality for our security.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that Mr Biden will travel to Brussels for the face-to-face talks with European leaders.

The trip follows on Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to eastern flank NATO countries of Poland and Romania last week to discuss with leaders the growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe sparked by the Russian invasion and to underscore the Biden administration's support for NATO allies.

Mr Stoltenberg said in a statement Tuesday that “at this critical time, North America and Europe must continue to stand together in NATO.”

NATO has been bolstering its eastern flank with troops and equipment to deter Russia from invading any of its members.

NATO refuses to deploy troops to Ukraine as it is concerned about sparking a wider war in Europe.