18 February 2017•Update: 18 February 2017
By Ayhan Simsek
MUNICH, Germany
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has assured European allies about American President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO, but also urged them to take more responsibility and increase their own defense spending to strengthen the alliance.
“Today, on behalf of President Trump, I bring you this assurance: The United States of America strongly supports NATO and will be unwavering in our commitment to this transatlantic alliance,” Pence said in his address to the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
"'We've been faithful for generations, and as you keep faith with us, under President Trump, we will always keep faith with you,” he said.
Pence criticized leading members of NATO for not adequately contributing to the alliance, and urged them to increase their military spending to meet the NATO’s agreed goal of spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense.
“The president of the United States expects our allies to keep their word to fulfill this commitment and foremost that means the time has come to the more.
"The promise to share the burden of our defense has gone unfulfilled for too many for too long and it erodes the very foundation of our alliance,” he said.
Currently, only five out of the 28 NATO members, including the U.S. meet the 2 percent goal of the alliance.
Last month, Trump’s critical remarks about NATO led to worries across European capitals over a radical change in U.S. foreign policy. He said NATO was “obsolete” and failed to address terrorism and today’s challenges.
Addressing dozens of political leaders, ministers and decision makers at the Munich Security Conference, Pence said the Trump-led U.S. administration will further strengthen its military, and continue its leading role within the NATO.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, I can assure you, the U.S will be strong, stronger than ever before,” he said.
“As we speak, the U.S. is developing plans for significant increase in its military spending to ensure that the strongest military in the world is stronger still,” he added.
The vice president said the world had become a more dangerous place than at any point since the collapse of communism a quarter century ago.
He listed international terrorism, Daesh, threats posed by Iran and North Korea as the major security challenges of the time.
“As President Trump made it very clear, the U.S. will fight tirelessly to crush these enemies, especially ISIS [Daesh] and its so-called caliphate,” he said, recalling that Trump ordered last month a comprehensive plan to defeat Daesh.
Pence also renewed Washington’s call for a stronger role for NATO in countering terrorism.
“The appointment of a new intelligence chief charged with facilitating collaboration on counterterrorism marks a positive, strategic shift in NATO’s ability to fulfill its mission. But going forward, we must intensify our efforts, to cut off terrorist funding, increase our cyber capabilities,” he said.
