{"id":295885,"date":"2017-02-20T16:49:19","date_gmt":"2017-02-20T16:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=295885"},"modified":"2017-02-20T16:49:19","modified_gmt":"2017-02-20T16:49:19","slug":"mike-pence-seeks-to-allay-european-fears-on-trip-to-brussels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/02\/mike-pence-seeks-to-allay-european-fears-on-trip-to-brussels\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Pence seeks to allay European fears on trip to Brussels"},"content":{"rendered":"
The US Vice-President, Mike Pence, has said the US under President Trump remains committed to co-operation and partnership with the European Union.<\/p>\n
Mr Pence, speaking in Brussels, sought to reassure European allies worried by some of Mr Trump’s statements.<\/p>\n
Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said the EU was counting on unequivocal US support for a united Europe.<\/p>\n
Mr Trump’s comments on Brexit and the role of Nato have unsettled allies.<\/p>\n
Why are EU leaders worried?<\/strong><\/p>\n Donald Trump has been vocal in his criticism of international organisations, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), a defence alliance which was initially formed to meet the military threat to Europe from the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n Mr Trump has described Nato as “obsolete”, and criticised members for not meeting the target of spending 2% of their GDP on defence.<\/p>\n He is also seen as friendlier to Russia than his predecessors, and some of his former aides have come under scrutiny for their alleged links with Russia.<\/p>\n And he has spoken out in favour of Brexit, telling the Times newspaper last month that he thought the UK was “so smart in getting out”, and predicting that “others will leave” the EU.<\/p>\n European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said the US needs “a strong, united European Union”.<\/p>\n “This is not the moment for Europe to divide itself into former national, provincial categories,” he said.<\/p>\n Has Mike Pence managed to reassure EU leaders?<\/strong><\/p>\n The vice-president says it was Mr Trump who asked him to travel to Brussels for talks with Mr Tusk and Mr Juncker.<\/p>\n Mr Pence told leaders gathered at the Munich Security Conference at the weekend that the US would be “unwavering” in its support for Nato.<\/p>\n He also said the US would continue to hold Russia accountable over the Ukraine conflict, though he said that President Trump believed that new common ground could be found with Russia.<\/p>\n He said the US was committed to “partnership with the European Union”, stressed that they “shared the same heritage [and] the same values”.<\/p>\n