Pay no attention to the President?

One month into the Trump presidency in February 2017, a trio of high-level U.S. officials—Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Defence James Mattis, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Europe for various high-level meetings at NATO, the European Union and the G-20. They brought with them a clear message: pay no attention to the President of the United States.

However, the writer says that the reassurances of even the most senior officials in the administration are worth very little to US allies. The main point to remember is that only the President can make foreign policy.

For President Trump they key principle is that the United States gets a raw deal from its allies, and that U.S. alliances need to be renegotiated to put America first.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: US Vice-President seeks to allay fears on his first European tour http://www.europeansources.info/record/us-vice-president-seeks-to-allay-fears-on-his-first-european-tour/

ESO: Background information: NATO, Russia, Merkel, Brexit: Trump unleashes broadsides on Europe / European leaders react to Trump bombshells http://www.europeansources.info/record/nato-russia-merkel-brexit-trump-unleashes-broadsides-on-europe-european-leaders-react-to-trump-bombshells/

ESO: Background information: Meetings of NATO Defence Ministers, 15-16 February 2017 http://www.europeansources.info/record/meetings-of-nato-defence-ministers-15-16-february-2017/

ESO: Background information: Meeting between the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy and the US Secretary of State http://www.europeansources.info/record/meeting-between-the-eus-high-representative-for-foreign-policy-and-the-us-secretary-of-state/

Chatham House: Expert Comment, 22.02.17: McMaster Appointment Could Bolster US Line on Russia https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/mcmaster-appointment-could-bolster-us-line-russia

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