Pence, Merkel embrace NATO, yet differ
MUNICH — Vice President Mike Pence and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday offered dueling assessments of the troubled transatlantic relationship, as both praised NATO but Pence made no mention of the European Union, the key economic and political pact that binds Europe together.
In back-to-back speeches at the Munich Security Conference, Merkel and Pence appeared to find common ground about NATO, whose members have been urged by President Donald Trump to spend more on defense. But while Merkel praised the broader international organizations that have been a key part of the post-Cold War global order, Pence’s silence on the E.U. may only fuel fears among European allies that the new leadership in the White House will embrace only some aspects of European unity, while rejecting others.
On Sunday, Pence will travel to Brussels, where the E.U. will command more of his attention. On Monday, he will meet with senior E.U. leaders before returning home.
Pence offered a robust embrace of U.S. security commitments to Europe, seeking to tamp down speculation that Trump would pursue a new path that would abandon guarantees that European nations seem to feel they need to keep them safe from Russia.
“Today, tomorrow and every day hence, be confident that the United States is now and will always be your greatest ally,” Pence said. “Be assured: President Trump and the American people are fully devoted to our transatlantic union.”
Trump has repeatedly called NATO “obsolete,” but U.S. officials in Europe this past week, including Pence and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, appear to be concentrating more on pushing allies to meet NATO defense spending commitments rather than focusing on Trump’s desire for a new relationship with the Kremlin, a major fear in Europe. Many European allies see Russia as a security threat following its 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
Pence was critical of what he called the “Russian efforts to redraw international borders by force.” He called for quelling the conflict in Ukraine by adhering to the Minsk II agreement, a 2015 plan that sets out a road map for peace.
But — underscoring the beliefs of his boss, who many in Washington and Europe say has been too cozy toward Russia — Pence also sought to strike a balance, hinting at signs of a possible partnership between the two nations.
“And know this: The United States will continue to hold Russia accountable, even as we search for new common ground, which as you know, President Trump believes can be found,” Pence said.