Pentagon chief stresses commitment to NATO

In a phone conversation on Thursday with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, Mattis assured of “the United States’ enduring commitment to the NATO alliance”, a Pentagon statement read.

Mattis also thanked von der Leyen “for her country’s leadership in NATO activities on the Eastern Flank and in Afghanistan, and acknowledged the role that Germany plays in fighting terrorism, specifically in the counter-ISIL coalition.”

In a separate conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, “The two leaders discussed the importance of our shared values,” the Pentagon said, adding that Mattis “emphasised that when looking for allies to help defend these values, the United States always starts with Europe”.

During a press conference ahead of his White House appointment, Trump said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was “obsolete”, and suggested that his office could introduce changes to the structure of the organisation, which was set up in 1949.

Poland, which joined in 1999, is one of only a few member countries which contribute the stipulated two percent of GDP on defence. The country looks to NATO as a guarantor of security amid fears of possible Russian aggression. (rg)