Biden unexpectedly awards NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg with Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Joe Biden on Tuesday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to outgoing North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) chief Jens Stoltenberg in a surprise announcement. 

Biden presented the medal during his opening statements at the NATO summit in Washington D.C., where dozens of world leaders are gathering this week for the 75th anniversary of the NATO alliance.

The president praised Stoltenberg, who has served as the Secretary General of NATO for a decade, at the end of his remarks as a "man of integrity and intellectual rigor, a calm temperament in moments of crisis, [and] a consummate diplomat who works with leaders across the political spectrum."

"NATO's alliance of nations is also made up of leaders, and one person, in particular, has done an extraordinary job leading NATO for the last decade: Secretary General Stoltenberg," Biden said, according to RealClearPolitics. “Today, NATO is stronger, smarter, more energized than when you began. A billion people across Europe and North America, indeed the whole world, will reap the rewards of your labor for years to come.”

A citation with the medal honored the NATO chief as a "visionary statesman and ceaseless defender of democracy.” The Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the country. 

Stoltenberg responded to the medal in a social media post on Tuesday evening, claiming that the award was for all the people that helped run the alliance during his tenure, rather than a solo recognition. 

"Honoured and humbled to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from [President] Biden," Stoltenberg said in a post to X. "I see this as a recognition not just for me, but for the millions of men and women who serve our great Alliance, in and out of uniform. We are stronger and safer together in #NATO."

Stoltenberg will end his tenure as the secretary-general in September, and former Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte will take his place on October 1.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.