Pence on mission to reassure allies
MUNICH — Making his debut on the world stage, Vice President Mike Pence is looking to reassure skeptical allies in Europe about U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who has made his “America First” mantra a centerpiece of his new administration.
Pence arrived Friday in Germany, his first overseas trip as vice president, on a mission to ease concerns about the U.S. commitment to multinational institutions like NATO and the European Union. The visit, which will include a stop in Brussels on Sunday and Monday, comes amid worries in Europe about Russian aggression, and amid questions about Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and whether the new president may promote isolationist tendencies.
The dismissal of Trump’s national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, has also put Pence and his stature within the administration under new scrutiny. Flynn was forced to resign Monday following reports he misled Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat, which the vice president learned about through media accounts.
Landing on a cold, rainy evening, Pence was greeted by about two dozen members of the Bavarian Honor Guard and local dignitaries at Munich’s airport. On Saturday, he will deliver a speech at the Munich Security Conference and then meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Pence is also scheduled to sit down with the leaders of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko — countries facing the threat of Russian aggression — along with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.
“These are pretty bluntspoken people and they are very nervous. Pence is looking like an adult,” said James Jeffrey, a U.S. ambassador to Iraq during the Obama administration and a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “The question is will Trump listen to him?”
Pence was also expected to meet with the leaders of Iraq and Afghanistan, where the U.S. is embroiled in two separate wars.