Lloyd Austin welcomed by Nato defence chiefs

New US defence secretary hailed for America’s revitalised approach to the alliance

Lloyd Austin signalled a new US approach to Nato. AP

European officials praised America’s new defence chief Lloyd Austin after he addressed senior Nato figures for the first time since US President Joe Biden took office.

Mr Austin was applauded for his country’s new approach to Nato after four years of unpredictable behaviour from previous US president Donald Trump, who frequently harangued the alliance and accused member states of a lack of military spending.

The US defence secretary said that Mr Biden’s administration was keen to “revitalise our relationship with the alliance” and protect member states’ citizens.

Florence Parly, the French Minister of the Armed Forces, spoke positively about Mr Austin’s contribution to the first day of talks between Nato’s defence ministers.

“Very constructive discussions. We share the same ambition of a revitalisation of the alliance. France will play its full part in this collective work of strategic reflection between allies,” she said.

Such positivity was a far cry from 2019 when French President Emmanuel Macron said that Nato was experiencing “brain death” and that the alliance could no longer rely on the US.

Pascal Heyman, Belgium’s Permanent Representative to Nato, said the highlight of the meeting was Mr Austin’s pledge “to turn a new page” and “revitalise alliances”.

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  Commander of the U.S 25th Infantry Division Major General Eric T. Olson, Major General Lloyd Austin, commander of 10th Mountain Division and US commander General David Barno salute during a ceremony marking the change of authority from the 10th Montain Division to the newly arrived 25th Infantry Division at the coalition's Bagram Air Base headquarters north of Kabul, 15 April 2004. AFP

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  US army Lt. General Lloyd J. Austin III commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, Col. Jeffrey L. Bannister, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and Iraqi Brigadier General Abdulah, discussing troop progress during a field meeting outside Baghdad, Iraq, 11 September 2007. Iraqi special forces backed by US troops launched a raid 25 September 2007 against Iraq's largest military academy detaining "20 criminals". AFP

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  Iraq's National Security Adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubaie gestures next to US army Lt General Lloyd Austin, commander of US-led forces in Diwaniyah province, during a handover ceremony in Diwaniyah, 181 kms south of Baghdad, on July 16, 2008. Iraq took control of security in the Shiite province of Diwaniyah today and said it hoped to regain control of the entire country from US-led forces by end of the year. AFP

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  US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama talking with US General David Petraeus and Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin upon the former's arrival at Baghdad International Airport on July 21, 2008. Obama welcomed today the security gains achieved by Baghdad in battling Al-Qaeda and Shiite militias, an Iraqi government statement said. AFP

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  US Lieutenant General Lloyd James Austin arrives at the site of an explosion in a Christian market in Baghdad's Dora district on October 15, 2008. Two bombs exploded near a Sahwa (Awakening) building during a meeting between Sahwa members and Iraqi police. AFP

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  Iraqi governor of the central Shiite province of Wasit, Latif Ham al-Tarfa, and US Lieutenant General Lloyd Austin, the number two commander of US forces in Iraq, sign the official transfer of security files from the US to the Iraqi army in the provincial capital Kut on October 29, 2008. Iraq took over from US forces today control of Wasit, which US commanders say is often used by Iranian groups to smuggle weapons to launch attacks in Iraq. Wasit became the 13th of Iraq's 18 provinces to be handed over by US-led forces to Baghdad amid an overall improvement in security across the violence-wracked country. AFP

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  US Vice President Joe Biden stands between Lieuteneant General Lloyd J. Austin III and Command Sergeant Major Joseph Allen during the US national anthem during a special ceremony at Fort Bragg outside Fayetteville, North Carolina 08 April 2009. The XVIII Airborne Corps just completed their second deployment to Iraq since 2006. EPA

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  Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Allen, left, salutes to Vice President Joe Biden and Lt. General Lloyd Austin during a welcome home ceremony for the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina Wednesday, April 8, 2009. Getty Images

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  US Vice President Joe Biden meets with US ambassador James Jeffrey and General Lloyd Austin, the commander of United States Forces - Iraq (USF-I), at the US embassy upon arrival at Baghdad on a surprise visit on November 29, 2011, during which he is due to meet top Iraqi officials, as American troops depart Iraq ahead of a year-end deadline. AFP

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  US Army handout image shows Vice Chief of the Army, General Lloyd J. Austin III. The Pentagon announced December 31, 2012 that Gen. Austin will take over the top post at US Central Command, succeeding Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, upon Senate approval. AFP

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  Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki meeting US Vice Chief of the Army, General Lloyd J. Austin III in Baghdad on May 14, 2013. AFP

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  US President Barack Obama takes part in a briefing at US Central Command with Commander of US Central Command, General Lloyd Austin at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida on September 17, 2014. AFP

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  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meeting with General Lloyd Austin, Commander of US Central Command, at the presidential palace in Cairo, May 20, 2015. AFP

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  Army General Lloyd Austin III, commander of the US Central Command, speaks during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, DC, March 8, 2016. AFP

Mr Austin reaffirmed US support of the principle of collective defence, the idea that if one Nato member is attacked it is considered an attack against all allies.

Mr Austin is a retired US Army general and held senior military positions in Iraq.