Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday signaled a new era of cooperation during a NATO meeting while warning of the threat of “strategic competitors,” at a news conference with Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby .
Why it’s important: Austin’s first meeting with NATO defense ministers marks a clear change from the previous administration. Relations with European allies became so strained under former President Trump that French President Emmanuel Macron referred to NATO as “brain death.”
- The message shows that NATO leaders should be more concerned about the threat posed not only by China but also by Russia, which maintained more friendly relations under Trump, according to CNN.
What they say: Austin reaffirmed President Biden’s message that the U.S. “intends to revitalize our relationship with the alliance,” Kirby said.
- “Secretary Austin emphasized that the most important task of NATO is to protect our populations and territories by presenting a credible deterrent and a strong military.”
The big picture: At the first two-day virtual meeting, defense chiefs examined proposals such as strengthening allies’ commitment to deterrence and defense by providing incentives to contribute to more capabilities and ensure a fairer distribution of burdens, he said in Brussels. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.