Europeans are calling for their own military, but Mattis is still backing NATO as a 'cornerstone'

Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that NATO was the cornerstone for the protection of Europe even as France and Germany called for an integrated European Union military.

Asked whether he supported an EU military, Mattis told reporters: "We see NATO as the cornerstone for the protection of Europe in the security realm and we fully support nations doing more to carry the load."

He was speaking before the start of a meeting with his Polish counterpart at the Pentagon.

European countries have started several initiatives to strengthen and coordinate military operations. French President Emmanuel Macron last week called for a "real European army" to reduce dependence on the US, which has been backed by the European Commission president and was echoed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

European defense and US contributions to it have been irksome issues for President Donald Trump, who lashed out at Macron for his comments while on a trip to France last week.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; editing by James Dalgleish)

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