Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is telling NATO allies it is time to pay up. <\/p>\n
Fox News , KXVA 2:04 PM. CDT April 03, 2017 <\/p>\n
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson went to his first NATO meeting and gave U.S. allies some homework. <\/p>\n
Secretary Tillerson issued an assignment to U.S. allies, requesting that countries failing to meet the NATO defense spending threshold offer a plan on how theyll honor that commitment. <\/p>\n
The first is ensuring that NATO has all the resources, financial and otherwise, that are necessary for NATO to fulfill its mission, Secretary Tillerson said. <\/p>\n
Secretary Tillerson gave them less than two months. The deadline is May 25 the next NATO leaders meeting. <\/p>\n
In 2014, NATO leaders agreed to move towards a target of spending two percent of the size of their countries economies on defense. The U.S., United Kingdom, Poland, Greece and Estonia are the only five NATO countries reaching that target. There are 28 nations in NATO. <\/p>\n
As for the U.S. response if NATO countries fail to spend more on defense, State Department officials refuse to say. <\/p>\n
Germany is already pushing back on the U.S. request. Reuters reports German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel responded: Two percent would mean military expenses of some 70 billion Euros. I dont know any German politician who would claim that is reachable nor desirable. <\/p>\n
He argues security is more than military spending. <\/p>\n
Before reprimanding NATO allies on spending, Secretary Tillerson opened his remarks to his international counterparts stressing the U.S. commitment to NATO is strong and this alliance remains the bedrock for transatlantic security a message of relief for some. <\/p>\n
I remember at the beginning of the [Trump] presidency, they were saying NATO is not so important anymore, it is not the key for security. Now we see that the United States says, No, it is cornerstone of transatlantic alliance. <\/p>\n
Secretary Tillerson also warned Russia that NATO is fundamental to countering both non-viloent, but at times violent, Russian agitation and Russian aggression. <\/p>\n
He gave a very strong message stressing that the United States is together with Ukraine in fighting the Russian aggression. <\/p>\n
Ukraines foreign minister also says Tillerson promised the United States would maintain sanctions against Russia until it honors ceasefire agreements in Ukraine. <\/p>\n
NATO leaders are also discussing counterterrorism efforts, defeating ISIS and cyber security. <\/p>\n
And there are substantial questions of strategy to address those challenges like how much the Trump Administration would consider working with Russia to defeat ISIS and the future of Syria and whether President Bashar al Assad will be part of it. <\/p>\n
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