Trump omits defense pact in NATO speech

President Donald Trump makes no explicit mention of NATO’s mutual defense pact even as he speaks at a ceremony unveiling a memorial dedicated to it.

Trump has so far refused to personally commit to abiding by Article 5, which commits allies to defend any of the 28 members that come under attack. Article 5 has only been activated once, after 9/11.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer says, “it goes without saying” that Trump’s presence at the event underscores the White House’s “commitments and treaty obligations.” US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson yesterday said that “of course” the United States supports Article 5.

Trump was speaking at the unveiling of a steel beam from the 107th floor of one of the World Trade Center towers at the new NATO headquarters in Brussels. The unveiling is intended as a reminder of NATO’s commitment to its collective defense clause.

— AP