Trump confirms NATO commitment, cooperation with Spain to Rajoy

The United States President on Tuesday expressed his commitment to NATO and bilateral cooperation with Spain during a telephone call to the Spanish prime minister in which they also discussed the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group.

Donald Trump and Mariano Rajoy spoke on the phone for about 15 minutes to reaffirm their strong bilateral alliance regarding a series of mutual interests, according to a White House statement.

The statement said that both leaders discussed shared priorities, including efforts to eliminate the IS.

It added that Trump reiterated US commitment to NATO as well as emphasizing the importance of all NATO allies sharing the burden of defense spending.

The statement concluded that the two leaders agreed to maintain close cooperation on security, economics and the fight against terrorism.

The Spanish government previously reported the content of the call, which began around 3.45pm Washington DC time (8.45pm GMT) and lasted about 15 minutes.

According to Rajoy's office, the prime minister told Trump that Spain is in the best situation to be an interlocutor for the US in Europe, Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East.

Rajoy expressed his willingness to develop a good relationship with the new US administration, while Trump was very interested in the current state of the Spanish economy, according to the Spanish government statement.

In response to a question from Trump about the future of the European Union in light of the United Kingdom's decision to leave the bloc, Rajoy said he was confident about the process of strengthening EU integration in the coming months and assured the president that Spain would work towards that end.

Rajoy and Trump also discussed the upcoming NATO summit in May in Brussels, which will be their first personal encounter.

Source: EFE

NATO, Russia and trade top the agenda for Trump talks with Britain's May

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May, who share an unusual bond as the products of anti-establishment uprisings, will sit down on Friday for what could be a difficult search for unity on NATO, Russia and trade.

The meeting will mark Trump’s first with a foreign leader since taking power a week ago, and it could go a long way toward determining how crucial Trump considers the traditional “special relationship” between the two countries.

Trump rode an anti-Washington wave to win on Nov. 8, and May gained power in July after the "Brexit" vote that has put her country on a path to separate from the European Union. The meeting will conclude with a joint White House news conference.

Trump has declared NATO obsolete and expressed a desire for warmer ties with Russia. May considers the trans-Atlantic alliance crucial and is skeptical of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

They both want to begin work on a bilateral trade agreement, which for May would provide proof of stability amid the Brexit breakup and for Trump would support his belief that he can negotiate one-on-one trade pacts.

"They both need this to be a success," said Heather Conley, a European expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

Trump, she said, "needs to demonstrate that he has a command of issues" while May "needs to hear strong messages of support for her vision of a Britain that works for everyone, a global Britain."

May, in a speech to Republican lawmakers gathered in Philadelphia on Thursday, suggested she saw the need for some reforms in NATO and for more countries to pay more to the alliance to help fund it, which has been Trump's main complaint about NATO.

"America’s leadership role in NATO – supported by Britain – must be the central element around which the alliance is built," May said.

But she said that EU nations "must step up" to ensure NATO remains the cornerstone of the West's defense.

Trump and May also seem somewhat at odds over how to deal with Russia. In her speech, May said Western leaders should "engage but beware" of Putin and should not accept Putin's claim that Eastern Europe is now in his sphere of influence.Trump, on the other hand, wants a strong U.S. relationship with Russia to fight Islamic State militants.

"I don't know Putin, but if we can get along with Russia, that's a great thing," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity" on Thursday. "It's good for Russia, it's good for us."

Source: Reuters