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U.S. President Donald Trump's defence secretary warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not "moderate" support for the alliance.
Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Brussels as Pentagon chief, also accused some NATO members of ignoring threats, including from Russia.
"America cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," Mattis said in a closed-door session with NATO defence ministers, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters.
The comments represented some of the strongest criticism in memory of allies who have failed to reach defence spending goals.
Europe's low expenditure has long been a sore point for the United States, which puts up 70 percent of alliance funds. But Trump has made change a priority, saying allies have "been very unfair to us" for not spending more.
Trump was sharply critical of NATO during his election campaign, making European allies nervous by calling the alliance obsolete and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (C) pose for a family photo during a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2017.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (C) pose for a family photo during a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 15, 2017.
Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has voiced strong support for NATO, comments echoed by Mattis at NATO's Brussels headquarters. Mattis called NATO "the most successful and powerful military alliance in modern history" and made a point of shaking hands with each of his European counterparts at the start of the meeting.
Mattis, however, suggested U.S. support should not be seen as a given.
"I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms," Mattis said.
"America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence."
Mattis stopped short of issuing an explicit ultimatum or say how the United States might moderate its support. The United States for years has called for European allies to spend 2 percent of economic output on defence, he said.
But he added that NATO allies must show progress in 2017 and adopt a plan, with target dates, towards defence spending goals.
Italy and Spain, two of Europe's larger economies, spend barely 1 percent a year on defence as they seek to curtail budget deficits following the 2008/2009 global financial crisis.
Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, three other wealthy European nations that are among the smallest spenders on defence, still need to convince centre-left political parties that do not support higher defence spending, preferring to prioritise welfare and education.
But the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania, who fear a repeat of Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, are on course to meet the 2 percent goal, while Romania is also heading towards that level.
(REUTERS)
