Merkel to Trump: NATO Alliance Is Important for the U.S. Too
- German chancellor comments ahead of meeting with Pence
- Canada’s Trudeau, Merkel take stand on trans-Atlantic ties
Pence to Assure European Leaders U.S. Is Reliable Ally
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the Trump administration to uphold its commitment to NATO, saying the military alliance is as valuable to the U.S. as to its other members.
After U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis warned that the administration is prepared to scale back its pledge to defend Europe unless ally nations increase military spending, Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sought to push back. Both leaders signaled they consider NATO to be about more than just reaching the alliance’s shared target of spending 2 percent of economic output on defense.