U.S. Vice President Pence heads to Europe on reassurance tour

By Roberta Rampton

REUTERS

 

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence attends the swearing-in ceremony of Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney at the executive office in Washington, U.S., February 16, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will seek on Saturday to soothe allies unnerved by his boss' unorthodox statements on Russia and NATO as he stresses America's commitment to Europe during the first major foreign address for the Trump administration.

 

Pence will tell the annual Munich Security Conference that Europe is an "indispensable partner" for the United States, a message he will repeat privately in meetings with a dozen leaders over the weekend and on Monday, a senior White House foreign policy adviser told reporters.

 

"We are the most secure and most prosperous when both the U.S. and Europe are strong and united," the adviser said, previewing Pence's trip.

 

President Donald Trump alarmed allies during his campaign for office by breaking with traditional Republican views on the transatlantic relationship.

 

Trump has expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he said he would like to work to fight Islamic State militants, and has questioned the value of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. [nL1N1FU1A4]

 

In Munich, Pence will hold a series of meetings with leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and leaders from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

 

Pence will emphasize that Russia and Ukraine need to fully implement the Minsk ceasefire agreement, and will stand firm on economic sanctions on Russia related to its aggression in Ukraine, the adviser told reporters.

 

He plans to discuss counterterrorism in a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, and the fight against Islamic State in meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, the adviser said.

 

On Monday, Pence will hold several discussions with European officials in Brussels, including with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

 

His trip comes amid turbulence at the White House. Trump fired his national security adviser on Monday for misleading Pence over his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States. Trump was turned down by a replacement candidate on Thursday. [nL1N1G12EE]

 

While Pence's sentiments may be welcomed, it may take more than soothing words to provide comfort, given the depth of anxiety in Europe about Trump's foreign policy, said Derek Chollet, a top defense policy adviser to former President Barack Obama.

 

"He will be trying to be reassuring, try to soften the edges of some of the president’s recent comments about Europe, put into context or explain - but I have to think that it’s not going to solve the problem," said Chollet, now with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

 

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-17

Hopefully he's bringing about 80 million doses of valium with him.

 

Not sure how safe I feel with him too far from the White House?

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 20179 yr by mtls2005

More like an apology tour

And as he speaks to allies he'll have to wonder as well as allies what else Trump hasn't told him that could blow up into another scandal.

Poor Europe. If they look on the bright side, at least it isn't Trump who is going.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will seek on Saturday to soothe allies unnerved by his boss' unorthodox statements on Russia and NATO as he stresses America's commitment to Europe during the first major foreign address for the Trump administration.

Good luck trying to defend Trump.

Europe: Pence must be as dumb as he sounds.

 

Pence arrives and talks words.

 

Europe: We're reassured!

3 hours ago, mamypoko said:

More like an apology tour

         Pence's head looks like it's carved out of Ivory Soap.  

 

            It's already clear, Trump and Pence think the American people are dummies.  That's the way they talk to them.   However, European heads aren't as dumb, so it won't be as easy to appease them by bland statements like; "Don't worry friends, everything will be Ok.  You like us.  We like you."

 

          Trump is like a drunk uncle who grabs all the young girls' titties at family get-togethers.  So there's always a phalanx of shielders who have to go around saying things (with a wink and a grin) like, "Don't mind him.  He's just like that because he's not PC.  If you knew him as well as I do, you'd know he's an upstanding person."

M. Pence " misled" by M. Flynn and probably Trump, about ties with Russia, heads to Europe on "reassurance tour" ... it's a joke. Is he to be taken seriously and literally? Who does he represent ?

 

Edited February 17, 20179 yr by Opl