US President Joe Biden's administration attended its first NATO defence ministers' meeting with the goal of revitalising relationships while also preparing to prod allies to continue increasing their defence spending, according to two senior Department of Defense (DoD) officials. The pair offered reporters a quick curtain-raiser of the message and tone Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin took into the virtual meeting, which began on 17 February. "The secretary intends to assure our allies that the United States' commitment to the NATO alliance, and to Article 5, remains iron-clad," one defence official said on 16 February. "He will reinforce that the United States is committed to consulting on issues that impact allies, including our Global Force Posture Review and the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq."
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