UK foreign secretary underscores commitment to NATO

LONDON – Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson underscored Britain’s commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Friday, describing the alliance as the foundation of security in Europe.

In his first major policy address since taking office, Johnson argued that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has a valid point about NATO members needing to contribute more to the cost of their defence. But he insisted that Britain’s attachment to the alliance is unbreakable.

“It cannot be justified that one NATO ally — America — accounts for about 70 per cent of the alliance’s defence spending, while the other 27 countries manage only 30 per cent between them,” Johnson said while speaking at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

Johnson also said Britain would not “block or impede” European Union efforts to develop their defence capabilities once the country leaves the 28-nation bloc. He said it was in Britain’s interest to have a strong EU following Brexit, and that he wouldn’t object to European defence “architecture.”

“If they want to do that, fine,” Johnson said.

The move apparently puts him at odds with British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who has expressed concerns that proposals under discussion for a joint military command within the EU would undermine NATO.

The European Union has said its defence integration plans are intended to improve co-operation, not create a new EU army.

“We want a strong EU and we want a strong relationship between a strong U.K. and a strong EU,” Johnson said. “It is no part of our agenda to seek to undermine or to be dog-in-the-mangerish about the EU.”