Top US and NATO officials stressed the importance of preserving transatlantic security ties on Tuesday amid doubts raised by Donald Trump’s election as President.
Trump stoked concerns that Washington’s near 70-year European defence guarantee might no longer hold when he said on the campaign trail he would think twice about helping NATO allies who did not pay their defence dues.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, attending his final meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, said that keeping unity was essential.
Ministers would discuss “how we need to come together to make sure that there’s a stronger Europe, a stronger NATO, and the interests that we all share we are continuing to work on togehter.
“And I think the unity is very very important.” NATO head Jens Stoltenberg meanwhile said strengthening EU-NATO cooperation was the best way to respond to doubts over the future of US commitment to the military alliance.
“Questions have been asked related to the strength of the transatlantic bond,” Stoltenberg said as ministers gathered for the two-day talks at alliance headquarters in Brussels.