Obama wins assurance by British PM over commitment to NATO

U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday won an assurance from British Prime Minister David Cameron that Britain will remain committed to meeting its responsibilities in NATO.

In a phone call with Obama, Cameron tried to assuage U.S. concern that planned military cutbacks by the British government could damage the NATO military alliance.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told BBC last week in Brussels that the NATO alliance “has to be maintained.” and “each country has to be able to make its appropriate contributions.” Britain is the second largest contributor of troops to Afghanistan.

“The prime minister stated that the United Kingdom would remain a first-rate military power, and remains committed to meeting its responsibilities in NATO,” the White House said in a readout of Obama’s call with Cameron.

“The president emphasized how much the United States values the United Kingdom’s contributions to global security,” the White House said. “He noted that in the context of our special relationship and shared commitment as NATO allies, he appreciates the Cameron government’s commitment to retain the full spectrum of military capabilities that permits our forces to partner effectively together around the world.”

It added that the two leaders also discussed close and ongoing counterterrorism cooperation between their countries.

As part of their austerity measures, a number of NATO member states, including Britain and Germany, have proposed to make cuts in defense spending, prompting NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to warn that Washington would look for other allies if Europe fails to pull its weight on security.