Stars and Stripes:
STUTTGART, Germany — Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said leaders in Europe must galvanize public support for more military spending, saying that recent increases in investment aren’t enough for the threats NATO now faces.
“The public is not aware of the evolving threat,” Shanahan said Thursday after two days of talks at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
In his first meeting with allies as defense chief, Shanahan lauded members for recent spending hikes and heaped praise on NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for leading the push.
Allies agreed to stay the course in Afghanistan and said that there would be no abrupt withdrawal while U.S.-led peace talks with the Taliban are continuing, Shanahan said.
