WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is seeking to reassure Europe that the United States remains fully committed to European security, particularly in combating threats from Russia.
In a speech Tuesday to a Washington think tank, Tillerson said the U.S. would be the first to respond to any attack on a European ally under NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause.
His comments were intended to dispel widespread unease that the Trump administration is pulling back from the alliance by demanding that European members spend more on their own defenses.
Tillerson was notably critical of Russia, saying its military interventions in Georgia and Ukraine, and interference in European elections and politics were unacceptable and not worthy of a responsible member of the international community.
