{"id":46606,"date":"2019-02-10T09:45:32","date_gmt":"2019-02-10T09:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/02\/10\/with-questions-on-syria-inf-shanahan-heads-to-nato\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:00:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:00:19","slug":"with-questions-on-syria-inf-shanahan-heads-to-nato","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2019\/02\/10\/with-questions-on-syria-inf-shanahan-heads-to-nato\/","title":{"rendered":"With questions on Syria, nuclear treaty, Shanahan heads to NATO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan heads to NATO this week to reassure allies that the U.S. path on key security issues remains steady, amid major policy shifts in Syria<\/a>, Afghanistan<\/a> and its recent withdrawal from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will mark Shanahan\u2019s first opportunity to meet with his 28 fellow NATO defense ministers since the abrupt resignation<\/a> of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who left in late December in protest of President Donald Trump\u2019s decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria, amid other disagreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also comes a little over a week after Trump formally announced that the U.S. would withdraw f<\/a>rom the INF treaty, a move NATO allies supported, in response to Russia\u2019s non-compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the INF treaty, Shanahan will be meeting with his counterparts and \u201cdiscussing plans forward for the INF given the American decision of withdrawal,\u201d a senior defense official told Military Times. However, \u201cany next steps remain under discussion, and in close coordination with the alliance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importantly, the official said, \u201cwe are only pondering conventional capabilities going forward \u2014 nothing new otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t