By Caitlin Oprysko & Nahal Toosi @ Politico.com, April 3

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday called for the military alliance to stay united against an increasingly assertive Russia at a time when President Donald Trump's shaky commitment to NATO and efforts to engage Moscow have strained transatlantic relations. But in delivering a historic speech to a joint session of Congress to commemorate the 70th anniversary of NATO’s founding, Stoltenberg also showed why he's considered a successful "Trump whisperer." He avoided overt criticism of the Republican president and in fact credited him for pushing other NATO countries to increase their defense spending [....]

"It is good to have friends," Stoltenberg said, twice, to loud bipartisan applause from U.S. lawmakers, who gave him frequent standing ovations throughout his remarks.

Stoltenberg's presence on Wednesday came as a result of bipartisan outreach. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, jointly extended the invitation to the NATO chief as an unambiguous signal that the alliance retains strong support from U.S. lawmakers of both parties, even if the president has been less than kind.

The NATO leader devoted much of his speech to outlining the threats that Russia poses under its autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin. [.....]