With greetings from Trump, Pence says U.S. committed to Europe

U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence onSaturday brought a message of support for Europe from DonaldTrump, but failed to wholly reassure allies worried about thenew president's stance on Russia and the European Union.

In Pence's first major foreign policy address for the Trump administration, he told European leaders that he spoke for Trump when he promised "unwavering" commitment to the NATOalliance.

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"Today, on behalf of President Trump, I bring you thisassurance: the United States of America strongly supports NATOand will be unwavering in our commitment to this transatlanticalliance," Pence told the Munich Security Conference, offering "greetings" from the president.

But he also repeated U.S. calls for more defence spending inreturn: "As you keep faith with us, under President Trump wewill always keep faith with you."

Poland supportive, France skeptical

While Poland's defence minister praised Pence, many others,including France's foreign minister and U.S. lawmakers inMunich, remained skeptical that he had convinced his allies Trump would stand by Europe.

Trump's contradictory remarks on the value of the NorthAtlantic Treaty Organisation,skepticismover the 2015 deal to
curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, and an apparent disregard for thefuture of the European Union have left Europe fearful for theseven-decade-old U.S. guardianship of the West.

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After Pence spoke, former NATO deputy secretary generalAlexanderVershbow, who is American, summed up the mood, tellingReuters: "Many in this hall are still asking if this is the realpolicy."

Pence, whose meeting with German Chancellor AngelaMerkelwas described by German aides as "very friendly,"also markedout a divide on Iran, which the European Union sees as abusiness opportunity following the nuclear deal.

'The ash-heap of history'

Pence called Tehran "the leading state sponsor ofterrorism,"language never used by European officials. Pence's
strident vow to consignIslamistmilitants "to the ash-heap ofhistory" also raised eyebrows, European officials said.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly defended Trump'sdirective suspending travel to the United States by citizens ofseven mostly Muslim countries, a move condemned by EU governments and since blocked by U.S judges.

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Kelly said he would produce a "tighter, more streamlinedversion" soon, saying: "We need to find ways to vet in a morereliable way to satisfy us that people coming to the UnitedStates are coming for the right reasons."

2 rival U.S. governments?

"I hope that we will have a clear response [in Brussels]...because Donald Trump has said he was overjoyed by the Brexit andthat there would be others," Ayrault said, referring toBritain's decision to leave the European Union.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the oppositionDemocrats, said he welcomed Pence's address but saw rivalgovernments emerging from the Trump administration.

"Looks like we have 2 governments," he wrote on Twitter. "@VP just gave speech about shared values btwn
US and Europe as @POTUS openly wages war on those values."

Pence, Trump's Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and his foreignminister Rex Tillerson all delivered messages of reassurance ontheir debut trip to Europe.

But events in Washington, including a news conference inwhich Trump branded accredited White House reporters "dishonestpeople,"sowed more confusion.

Flynn departure tarnishes message

"I like a lot of what I heard from Vice-President Pence,"Murphy told Reuters. "It's just hard to square that speech witheverything Donald Trump is doing and saying," citing an assaulton the free press.

The resignation of Trump's security adviser Michael Flynnover his contacts with Russia on the eve of the U.S. charmoffensive in Europe also tarnished the message Pence, Mattis andTillerson were seeking to send, officials told Reuters.

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U.S. Republican Senator John McCain, a Trump critic, toldthe conference on Friday that the new president's team was "indisarray".

Tepid applause

Pence, citing a trip to Cold War-era West Berlin in hisyouth, said Trump would uphold the post-Second World War order.

"This is President Trump's promise: we will stand withEurope today and every day, because we are bound together by thesame noble ideals freedom, democracy, justice and the rule oflaw," Pence said.

Pence received little applause beyond the warm reception hegot when he declared his support for NATO. His warning that the"time has come to do more" on military spending was met with anawkward silence.

Pence's tough line on Russia, calling on Moscow to honourthe international peace accords that seek to end the conflict ineastern Ukraine, were welcomed by Polish Defence Minister AntoniMacierewicz. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after a meeting with his French, Germanand Ukrainian counterparts that there would be a new ceasefirefrom Feb. 20.

"Know this: the United States will continue to hold Russiaaccountable, even as we search for new common ground, which asyou know, President Trump believes can be found," Pence said.

Pence meets Bono

Pence laterheldan impromptu meeting with U2 front man Bono, who calledthe vice-president "the second busiest man on Earth."

Pence met with the Irish rock star along the sidelines of the conference. Bono offered his appreciation to the vice-president for meeting and noted that Pence had twice supported bills in Congress to provide AIDS medication to African nations.

Bono called it an "extraordinary historic accomplishment" and credited Pence with playing a "leading role." Reporters were then ushered away.

Bono meets U.S. Vice President Mike Pence

8 years ago

Duration 0:55

The leader of the musical act U2 praised Pence at a security conference in Munich.