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Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan heads to NATO this week to reassure allies that the U.S. path on key security issues remains steady, amid major policy shifts in Syria, Afghanistan and its recent withdrawal from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty.
It will mark Shanahan’s first opportunity to meet with his 28 fellow NATO defense ministers since the abrupt resignation of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who left in late December in protest of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria, amid other disagreements.
It also comes a little over a week after Trump formally announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the INF treaty, a move NATO allies supported, in response to Russia’s non-compliance.
On the INF treaty, Shanahan will be meeting with his counterparts and “discussing plans forward for the INF given the American decision of withdrawal,” a senior defense official told Military Times. However, “any next steps remain under discussion, and in close coordination with the alliance.”
Importantly, the official said, “we are only pondering conventional capabilities going forward — nothing new otherwise.”
More at link: With questions on Syria, nuclear treaty, Shanahan heads to NATO
It will mark Shanahan’s first opportunity to meet with his 28 fellow NATO defense ministers since the abrupt resignation of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who left in late December in protest of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria, amid other disagreements.
It also comes a little over a week after Trump formally announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the INF treaty, a move NATO allies supported, in response to Russia’s non-compliance.
On the INF treaty, Shanahan will be meeting with his counterparts and “discussing plans forward for the INF given the American decision of withdrawal,” a senior defense official told Military Times. However, “any next steps remain under discussion, and in close coordination with the alliance.”
Importantly, the official said, “we are only pondering conventional capabilities going forward — nothing new otherwise.”
More at link: With questions on Syria, nuclear treaty, Shanahan heads to NATO
