{"id":29680,"date":"2018-04-29T16:11:21","date_gmt":"2018-04-29T16:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/29\/pompeo-dives-into-nato-diplomacy-as-allies-confront-russia\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:24:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:24:54","slug":"pompeo-dives-into-nato-diplomacy-as-allies-confront-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/04\/29\/pompeo-dives-into-nato-diplomacy-as-allies-confront-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"Pompeo dives into NATO diplomacy as allies confront Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BRUSSELS \u2014 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rebuked Russia on Friday for what he called aggression beyond its borders, and vowed to restore relevance to a badly demoralized State Department in his new role as the top American diplomat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attending a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels less than 24 hours after being sworn in, Pompeo criticized Russia for threatening the alliance\u2019s friends and partners in Georgia and Ukraine as well as for \u201can aggressive campaign to undermine Western democratic institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among other Russian misdeeds, Pompeo said, are the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy<\/a> in Britain last month and its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad<\/a>\u2019s government. Syria is accused of launching a chemical weapons attack that led three NATO members \u2014 Britain, France and the U.S. \u2014 to launch airstrikes on Syrian targets<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syria has denied responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn light of Russia\u2019s unacceptable actions, NATO is more indispensable than ever,\u201d the former CIA chief told reporters as he wrapped up the first stop on his first overseas trip as secretary of state. \u201cNATO should not return to business as usual with Russia until Moscow shows a clear change in its actions and complies with international law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pompeo said that among the allies there was \u201cenormous consensus of the risk that it poses to the West (and) a real commitment to work together to mitigate to those risks and to deter them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg agreed. \u201cWe are in a situation where we\u2019ve not been before,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not in the old Cold War, but we\u2019re neither in the strategic partnership we were trying to build after the Cold War. So this is something new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday, April 27, 2018. Mike Pompeo took over as America’s top diplomat Thursday after being confirmed by the Senate and will participate in his first NATO foreign ministers meeting on Friday. (Virginia Mayo\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Friday\u2019s meetings set the stage for a summit of NATO leaders in July at which they are expected to outline more specifics about their response to Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of NATO\u2019s central role in pushing back against Russia, Pompeo said it was even more important that the allies, particularly Germany, the largest and wealthiest European member, meet their commitments to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commitment was made in 2014 and thus far only six of the 28 countries that made the pledge meet the goal. Nine have produced realistic plans for reaching it by 2024, but the rest, including Germany, have not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Pompeo replied bluntly when asked if Germany\u2019s efforts to increase defense spending have been satisfactory. \u201cThey should meet the goals that they agreed to,\u201d he said as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Donald Trump were meeting at the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pompeo arrived in Brussels about 12 hours after he was sworn in as secretary of state to replace Rex Tillerson, fired by Trump last month. His participation in the meeting so soon after taking office was noted by Stoltenberg and others who said it was a sign of U.S. commitment to NATO and its allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His arrival also appeared to have heartened some U.S. diplomats who had been discouraged by Tillerson\u2019s embrace of budget and staffing cuts and a perceived desire to reduce America\u2019s diplomatic footprint. Pompeo is known to be close to Trump while Tillerson and the president sparred frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pompeo alluded to the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey may have been demoralized but they seemed in good spirits,\u201d he said of a group of U.S. diplomats he met at NATO. \u201cThey are hopeful that the State Department will get its swagger back, that we will be out doing the things that they came on board at the State Department to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my mission set: to build that esprit and get that team on the field,\u201d Pompeo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Pompeo\u2019s other goals in Brussels was to convince Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a separate meeting to refocus on coordination in northern Syria, where Turkey has been attacking Kurdish rebels<\/a> supported by the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That coordination was started by Tillerson but had languished in the absence of a new secretary of state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pompeo also renewed calls for the release of a jailed American pastor accused by Turkey of espionage, and encouraged Turkey not to pursue the purchase of an advanced air-defense system from Russia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as he walked into the meeting, Cavusoglu signaled that Turkey would not back down on the purchase, which the U.S. and other NATO members oppose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that the production and delivery of the S-400 system is being accelerated and Cavusoglu told reporters on Friday that \u201cRussia is speeding up the process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t