ambassador to nato, julianne smith, spoke about the importance of the military alliance to the u.s. and internationally, and nato's recent expansion to include sweden and finland as new members. while the russia-ukraine war continues. other speakers also discussed nato's future and its deterrent strategy. >> good morning, and thanks for coming out early on a monday morning, and thank you for that lovely introduction. it has been a real pleasure and honor to open this conference, nato at 75: charting a new course, and i look forward to your questions in a few minutes. for 3/4 of a century, nato has been a cornerstone of international peace and security , united nations in a collective commitment to mutual defense and to our shared values. nato's success story really is remarkable, and it is one that was by no means preordained. the fact that in 2024, 75 years after it was founded, the alliance is bigger, stronger, and more united speaks to the alliance's adaptability, to nato's resilience. but it also speaks to the commitment and courage of millions of soldiers, sailors, aviators tha