The Nato alliance is "no longer obsolete," US President Donald Trump said Wednesday after talks with Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg.
"Our common security is always number one," Trump said, pointing to the long history of the alliance that he dubbed obsolete during last year's presidential campaign, upsetting allies in the 28-member alliance.
Trump said he had complained about Nato being obsolete "a long time ago," saying it did not do enough to fight terrorism. Those complaints rattled European allies, who wondered whether it meant a change in the US commitment to Europe's security.
The president reversed himself on Wednesday at a joint news conference with Stoltenberg at the White House.
"They made a change, and now they do fight terrorism," he said. "I said it was obsolete; it's no longer obsolete."
Stoltenberg welcomed the "very strong commitment of the United States to the security of Europe," but also noted that the Nato mission in Afghanistan "is a major contribution to the fight against international terrorism" and said all Nato allies are part of the global coalition to counter Islamic State.
His comments were the second time he has indicated a reversal to the language he used while campaigning. In January, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Trump had assured her in their meeting at the White House that he was "100 percent supportive of Nato."
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