Ongoing tensions between America and its closest allies over tariffs and other issues have not soured military-to-military relationships, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday.

President Donald Trump has recently blasted several nations, including Canada, over what he has called unfair tariffs on US goods.

Trump refused to sign a joint statement over the weekend endorsing global trade rules, and accused Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of dishonesty.

But Mattis said defense ministers from NATO and elsewhere are quietly continuing to work together amid the tensions.

"I know at times it all just seems to just churn here, but in fact, steady as we go," Mattis said.

"We are maintaining ... (an effort) to build stronger alliances and partnerships and broaden them."

He added that tariffs had not come up at all last week while he was in Brussels at a NATO summit.

"The fundamental mil-to-mil relationships have held through it all," he said.

Mattis finds himself in an unusual situation.

His role since Trump came into office has in no small part been to reassure allies that America stands behind the security and economic superstructure it engineered after World War II.

But Trump has blasted long-standing alliances, and refused to endorse a communique at the end of the G7 summit that said participants were "guided by our shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and our commitment to promote a rules-based international order."

Ahead of the annual meeting of G7 leaders, Trump said Russia should be allowed back into the group following its 2014 expulsion for annexing Crimea.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

As G7 feuds, Xi and Putin play up their own club
Qingdao, China (AFP) June 10, 2018
The leaders of China and Russia Sunday praised the expansion of their regional security bloc at a summit which put on a show of unity in stark contrast to the acrimonious G7 meeting. President Xi Jinping gave the leaders of Pakistan and India a "special welcome" to their first summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, since their countries joined the group last year. Founded in 2001, the SCO also includes the former Central Asian Soviet republ ... read more