New Pentagon chief to reassure Nato allies

WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will this week reaffirm Washington’s commitment to Nato and reassure allies they will be consulted on important decisions, hoping to turn the page on four years of withering criticism from former president Donald Trump.

Nato defence ministers are meeting virtually on Wednesday and Thursday, and the new Pentagon chief will send "a supportive message ... about how relevant Nato is," his spokesman John Kirby said.

"He wants to revitalise our commitment to the alliance," Kirby added. The messaging stands in stark contrast to Trump, who frequently upbraided Nato partner nations on their levels of defense spending and who famously once called the transatlantic alliance "obsolete".

Kirby said Austin would underscore the new administration’s stance that "we’re better when we act together, that teams make us stronger and that collective security really is a shared responsibility."

The critical issue of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, scheduled for completion in early May, will be high on the agenda, though Kirby said ultimately that would be a decision for President Joe Biden.

"If and when that happens, that’s a decision for the commander-in-chief. (Austin) wants to obviously be able to help inform that decision-making process," Kirby said. Nato officials felt sidelined last year when the US announced its withdrawal plans for Afghanistan, and Germany wants to extend its mission there. "As (Austin) has said in every conversation he had with his counterparts, particularly his Nato counterparts: no decision that we make is going to be done without proper consultation and discussion with them."