Donald Trump’s criticism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during the presidential campaign should not deter the military alliance from trying to work with his incoming administration, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Nov. 14.
“Engage with the new administration, work with them [and] stay committed to the values and the principles that we have stood for,” Carter advised NATO members at an event hosted by the Atlantic magazine in Washington, D.C. “We have a lot of people who are trying to attack all of us collectively, and we’re much better at protecting ourselves if we can find a way to work together.”
NATO may already be heeding Carter’s advice. A day after the Nov. 8 election, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement saying he looks forward to meeting Trump “soon,” working with him and “welcoming him to Brussels for the NATO Summit next year to discuss the way forward.” Stoltenberg said that “U.S. leadership is as important as ever” and that the alliance faces “a challenging new security environment, including hybrid warfare, cyber attacks [and] the threat of terrorism.”
During the campaign, Trump alarmed longtime American partners in Europe by suggesting that the alliance, which was created during the Cold War, is “obsolete.” He also cast doubt on whether he will defend NATO allies that fail to boost their military spending.
President Barack Obama said on Nov. 14 that Trump was supportive of the United States’ “core strategic relationships” during a meeting of the current and future chief executives at the White House on the week of Nov. 7. At his first press conference since the election, Obama said Trump “expressed a great interest in maintaining” the NATO alliance and other international agreements.
“And so, one of the messages I will be able to deliver is his commitment to NATO and the Transatlantic Alliance,” Obama said in response to a question about Trump’s campaign criticism of NATO. Obama left from the press conference on an overseas trip that will take him to Greece, Germany and Peru.
“I think that’s one of the most important functions I can serve at this stage during this trip, is to let them know that there is no weakening of resolve when it comes to America’s commitment to maintaining a strong and robust NATO relationship and a recognition that those alliances aren’t just good for Europe, they’re good for the United States. And they’re vital for the world.”
At the Atlantic event, Carter said the Trump transition team was expected to arrive at the Pentagon sometime the week of Nov. 14.
“We’re ready to welcome them and to help the new team get started,” he said. “I am committed to an orderly transition to our new commander in chief, President-elect Trump.”
Asked whether he can envision autonomous warfare advancing to the point in which the military no longer needs pilots, Carter reiterated his belief that people, not machines, should continue to decide whether to fire weapons against an enemy.
“There can be more and more automation built into a system, but when it comes to the very solemn job of using force to protect the American people, I’m absolutely certain that our public officials and our public will always insist that there be a human being involved in making those decisions,” he said.