The outgoing NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, was handed the US Presidential Medal of Freedom personally by President Joe Biden on Tuesday, at the opening ceremony for a summit of the defence alliance in Washington. “Secretary, you’ve guided this alliance through one of the most consequential periods in its history,” Biden said. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is United States’ highest civilian honour. “When the Russia war in Ukraine began, you didn’t hesitate. Today, NATO is stronger, smarter, and more energized than when you began,” Biden told Stoltenberg. “And a billion people ac…