United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with his 29 fellow NATO counterparts in Brussels on Tuesday for the very first time in four years.

Brussels: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets NATO allies

The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels. Both leaders vowed to renew US-NATO ties and focus on vision 2030 while touching on divisive issues like Russia and China.

WION Fineprint: US Secretary of State Blinken meets NATO Chief

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday pledged to rebuild and revitalise the transatlantic military alliance after a bruising four years when Washington portrayed NATO as outdated, divided and in crisis.&nbsp;

The first top US official to visit NATO since President Joe Biden took office in January, Blinken said the alliance was at a pivotal moment but could emerge stronger after internal disputes over Turkey and Russian gas.&nbsp;

"I've come here to express the United States' steadfast commitment (to NATO)," Blinken told reporters as he met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "The United States wants to rebuild our partnerships, first and foremost with our NATO allies, we want to revitalise the alliance."&nbsp;

After four years of friction with Washington under the presidency of Donald Trump, who said the alliance was obsolete and harangued allies over defence spending targets, NATO's European members have welcomed the change in tone, saying they are once again being consulted on strategy.&nbsp;

"The last thing we can afford to do is take this alliance for granted," said Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, who is seeking to repair damage done by Trump's 'America First' policy.&nbsp;

"The process of confronting our own shortcomings can be very painful. It can be ugly. But ultimately, at least today, we've emerged the better and the stronger for it," he said.&nbsp;

Blinken said China's military rise and Russia's attempts to destabilise the West were threats that required NATO to come together, urging Turkey to embrace the alliance.&nbsp;

Having already bought Russian weapons, Turkey briefly blocked NATO defence plans in 2019 and launched an offensive on US-backed rebels in Syria, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to assert that NATO was 'experiencing brain death'.&nbsp;

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian welcomed Blinken's overtures, saying that NATO, founded in 1949 to contain a military threat from the Soviet Union, had 'rediscovered' it's better self.&nbsp;

"There will be no European defence without NATO and there will be no efficient and relevant NATO without Europeans," he said at NATO headquarters, where foreign ministers were meeting for the first time in person in a year, due to Covid-19.&nbsp;

Stoltenberg has set out areas where NATO could modernise - from climate measures to more sustainable funding of military operations and refocusing the alliance to help the West face China's technological prowess and growing armed forces.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday pledged to rebuild and revitalise the transatlantic military alliance after a bruising four years when Washington portrayed NATO as outdated, divided and in crisis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday pledged to rebuild and revitalise the transatlantic military alliance after a bruising four years when Washington portrayed NATO as outdated, divided and in crisis. The first top US official to visit NATO since President Joe Biden took office in January, Blinken said the alliance was at a pivotal moment but could emerge stronger after internal disputes over Turkey and Russian gas. "I've come here to express the United States' steadfast commitment (to NATO)," Blinken told reporters as he met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "The United States wants to rebuild our partnerships, first and foremost with our NATO allies, we want to revitalise the alliance." After four years of friction with Washington under the presidency of Donald Trump, who said the alliance was obsolete and harangued allies over defence spending targets, NATO's European members have welcomed the change in tone, saying they are once again being consulted on strategy. "The last thing we can afford to do is take this alliance for granted," said Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, who is seeking to repair damage done by Trump's 'America First' policy. "The process of confronting our own shortcomings can be very painful. It can be ugly. But ultimately, at least today, we've emerged the better and the stronger for it," he said. Blinken said China's military rise and Russia's attempts to destabilise the West were threats that required NATO to come together, urging Turkey to embrace the alliance. Having already bought Russian weapons, Turkey briefly blocked NATO defence plans in 2019 and launched an offensive on US-backed rebels in Syria, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to assert that NATO was 'experiencing brain death'. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian welcomed Blinken's overtures, saying that NATO, founded in 1949 to contain a military threat from the Soviet Union, had 'rediscovered' it's better self. "There will be no European defence without NATO and there will be no efficient and relevant NATO without Europeans," he said at NATO headquarters, where foreign ministers were meeting for the first time in person in a year, due to Covid-19. Stoltenberg has set out areas where NATO could modernise - from climate measures to more sustainable funding of military operations and refocusing the alliance to help the West face China's technological prowess and growing armed forces. (With inputs from agencies)

US Secretary of State pledges to revitalise NATO alliance in Brussels 

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Police detained 185 protesters in central <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/finally-british-lawmakers-approve-historic-brexit-deal-273275">Brussels</a> on Saturday after the environmental protest group <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-davos-summit-greta-thunberg-calls-for-real-climate-action-274917">Extinction Rebellion</a> staged demonstrations at a car show in protest at the auto industry's role in CO2 emissions that cause climate change.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-davos-summit-greta-thunberg-calls-for-real-climate-action-274917">Ahead of Davos summit, Greta Thunberg calls for 'real climate action'</a>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EUGreenDeal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EUGreenDeal</a> transformation is unprecedented. 
 
The Just Transition Mechanism will support those that need to make bigger efforts by: 
👨‍💻 Offering re-skilling opportunities 
💼 Investing in new firms, SMEs and start-ups 
⚡ Improving energy infrastructure 
🌱Creating new jobs <a href="https://t.co/Qz5VC5Tsfe">pic.twitter.com/Qz5VC5Tsfe</a>
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) <a href="https://twitter.com/EU_Commission/status/1218458002501652480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The protest came only days after the European Commission unveiled ideas on how to finance its flagship Green Deal project that aims to make the European Union a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/four-indian-airports-receive-international-recognition-for-reducing-emissions-273223">CO2</a> emissions-neutral area by 2050, in part through the transformation of the car industry.

<img alt="Demonstrators lie in a street during a protest of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion at Brussels Motor Show in Brussels" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="007d7cc5-e6ee-44ee-a78a-e98a36a03ba3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2816%29_7.jpg" /> 
[ Demonstrators lie in a street during a protest of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion in Brussels (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

A member and former spokesman for the group, Christophe Meierhans, said Extinction Rebellion targeted the car industry because it told: "a lot of lies in order to sell more cars".

One protester, his face covered with black paint, chanted "Shell kills" referring to the oil company Royal Dutch Shell before lying down in front of the company's stall, while other protesters gathered around wearing face masks with the company's logo.

<img alt="Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="678e258c-54a6-49f2-a0a6-a45c90f1dc9f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2815%29_8.jpg" /> 
[&nbsp;Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion at Brussels Motor Show in Brussels (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

The protesters were quickly taken away by police and the show's security personnel briefly blocked access to the area.

Later, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-at-mercy-of-politics-in-2020-experts-warn-273582">demonstrators</a> carried out a "die-in" outside the show's entrance and were also removed by police without resisting arrest.

The show's organizers said in a statement they expected 500,000 visitors to visit the 10-day car show, the largest of its kind in the country.

Police detained 185 protesters in central Brussels on Saturday after the environmental protest group Extinction Rebellion staged demonstrations at a car show in protest at the auto industry's role in CO2 emissions that cause climate change.

Police detained 185 protesters in central Brussels on Saturday after the environmental protest group Extinction Rebellion staged demonstrations at a car show in protest at the auto industry's role in CO2 emissions that cause climate change. Also Read: Ahead of Davos summit, Greta Thunberg calls for 'real climate action' The #EUGreenDeal transformation is unprecedented. The Just Transition Mechanism will support those that need to make bigger efforts by: 👨‍💻 Offering re-skilling opportunities 💼 Investing in new firms, SMEs and start-ups ⚡ Improving energy infrastructure 🌱Creating new jobs pic.twitter.com/Qz5VC5Tsfe — European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) January 18, 2020 × The protest came only days after the European Commission unveiled ideas on how to finance its flagship Green Deal project that aims to make the European Union a CO2 emissions-neutral area by 2050, in part through the transformation of the car industry. [ Demonstrators lie in a street during a protest of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion in Brussels (Courtesy: Reuters) ] A member and former spokesman for the group, Christophe Meierhans, said Extinction Rebellion targeted the car industry because it told: "a lot of lies in order to sell more cars". One protester, his face covered with black paint, chanted "Shell kills" referring to the oil company Royal Dutch Shell before lying down in front of the company's stall, while other protesters gathered around wearing face masks with the company's logo. [ Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest of the climate action group Extinction Rebellion at Brussels Motor Show in Brussels (Courtesy: Reuters) ] The protesters were quickly taken away by police and the show's security personnel briefly blocked access to the area. Later, demonstrators carried out a "die-in" outside the show's entrance and were also removed by police without resisting arrest. The show's organizers said in a statement they expected 500,000 visitors to visit the 10-day car show, the largest of its kind in the country.

Police detain 185 climate protesters at Brussels Motor Show

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-leaders-to-push-for-climate-neutrality-by-2050-sources-265831">European Union</a> left Poland out of a 2050 climate neutrality agreement on Friday after hours of summit haggling with three poorer eastern member states that demanded more funds for economic transition and support for nuclear power.

The Czech Republic and Hungary eventually dropped their resistance after winning a guarantee that nuclear energy would be recognised as a way for EU states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/poland-to-end-major-russian-gas-contract-by-2022-262384">Poland</a> remained against.

The tussle came a day after Germany's Ursula von der Leyen, the new head of the bloc's executive European Commission, proposed a 100-billion-euro (85.7 billion pounds) investment plan for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, declaring it Europe's "man on the moon moment".

With fires, floods and droughts ruining millions of lives around the world, the European Union's new push comes as popular protest demanding more action to fight climate change spreads around the bloc.

Von der Leyen said the Brussels summit deal, reached in the wee hours of Friday by 27 national EU leaders, was enough for the commission to start rolling out concrete climate legislative proposals for the bloc next year based on the 2050 goal.

"We acknowledge that the transition is a big one for Poland," she said. "It needs more time to go through the details, but this will not change the time frame ... for the commission."

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose country relies on highly polluting coal for some 80 per cent&nbsp;of its energy needs, said the negotiations had been "very difficult".

"Poland will be reaching climate neutrality at its own pace," he told reporters after the marathon talks.

German Chancellor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/angela-merkel-visits-auschwitz-for-first-time-266657">Angela Merkel</a> said she was satisfied with the outcome.

"There is no splitting of Europe into separate parts but one member state needing more time to see how it will be implemented," she said.

Warsaw's discussions about introducing nuclear energy in the largest ex-communist EU country have not yet been settled, partly due to high costs.

The neighbouring Czech Republic and Hungary want to invest in nuclear energy and won a line in the EU leaders' tortured decision specifically recognising their right to do that, despite opposition from Austria, Luxembourg and Germany.

"It was a long and difficult struggle," Austrian Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein said. "Every country can decide about its national energy mix. For Austria, nuclear energy is not a safe and sustainable source of energy."

Poland had demanded more specific guarantees on the scale and scope of financing for phasing out fossil fuels, which ties into another difficult debate in the bloc on its next budget for 2021-27. On Thursday night, EU leaders meeting in Brussels only agreed to push the can down the road on that to 2020.

But net payers like the Netherlands were adamant they would not offer more funds to Warsaw if it did not firmly commit to the more ambitious climate goal, which the Hague backs. The EU is supposed to return to that discussion in June.

Earlier in the day Poland floated the idea of setting the date at 2070. But a failure to agree at all on climate neutrality would have been a setback for the bloc's new leadership, including von der Leyen, who took office this month.

Underlining the stakes, Greenpeace climate activists scaled the glass-fronted Europa building where leaders meet, unfurling banners reading "Climate Emergency", firing off red flares and blaring fire alarm sirens.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban set the tone ahead of the talks, insisting that less affluent countries of eastern Europe must get generous financial guarantees.

"We cannot allow Brussels bureaucrats to have poor people and poor countries to pay the costs of the fight against climate change," he said.

The European Union left Poland out of a 2050 climate neutrality agreement on Friday after hours of summit haggling with three poorer eastern member states that demanded more funds for economic transition and support for nuclear power.

The European Union left Poland out of a 2050 climate neutrality agreement on Friday after hours of summit haggling with three poorer eastern member states that demanded more funds for economic transition and support for nuclear power. The Czech Republic and Hungary eventually dropped their resistance after winning a guarantee that nuclear energy would be recognised as a way for EU states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But Poland remained against. The tussle came a day after Germany's Ursula von der Leyen, the new head of the bloc's executive European Commission, proposed a 100-billion-euro (85.7 billion pounds) investment plan for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, declaring it Europe's "man on the moon moment". With fires, floods and droughts ruining millions of lives around the world, the European Union's new push comes as popular protest demanding more action to fight climate change spreads around the bloc. Von der Leyen said the Brussels summit deal, reached in the wee hours of Friday by 27 national EU leaders, was enough for the commission to start rolling out concrete climate legislative proposals for the bloc next year based on the 2050 goal. "We acknowledge that the transition is a big one for Poland," she said. "It needs more time to go through the details, but this will not change the time frame ... for the commission." Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose country relies on highly polluting coal for some 80 per cent of its energy needs, said the negotiations had been "very difficult". "Poland will be reaching climate neutrality at its own pace," he told reporters after the marathon talks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was satisfied with the outcome. "There is no splitting of Europe into separate parts but one member state needing more time to see how it will be implemented," she said. Warsaw's discussions about introducing nuclear energy in the largest ex-communist EU country have not yet been settled, partly due to high costs. The neighbouring Czech Republic and Hungary want to invest in nuclear energy and won a line in the EU leaders' tortured decision specifically recognising their right to do that, despite opposition from Austria, Luxembourg and Germany. "It was a long and difficult struggle," Austrian Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein said. "Every country can decide about its national energy mix. For Austria, nuclear energy is not a safe and sustainable source of energy." Poland had demanded more specific guarantees on the scale and scope of financing for phasing out fossil fuels, which ties into another difficult debate in the bloc on its next budget for 2021-27. On Thursday night, EU leaders meeting in Brussels only agreed to push the can down the road on that to 2020. But net payers like the Netherlands were adamant they would not offer more funds to Warsaw if it did not firmly commit to the more ambitious climate goal, which the Hague backs. The EU is supposed to return to that discussion in June. Earlier in the day Poland floated the idea of setting the date at 2070. But a failure to agree at all on climate neutrality would have been a setback for the bloc's new leadership, including von der Leyen, who took office this month. Underlining the stakes, Greenpeace climate activists scaled the glass-fronted Europa building where leaders meet, unfurling banners reading "Climate Emergency", firing off red flares and blaring fire alarm sirens. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban set the tone ahead of the talks, insisting that less affluent countries of eastern Europe must get generous financial guarantees. "We cannot allow Brussels bureaucrats to have poor people and poor countries to pay the costs of the fight against climate change," he said.

EU leaves Poland out of 2050 climate deal after standoff

NATO foreign ministers were set on Wednesday (November 20) to make space a domain of warfare and agree to closely monitor China's growing military might in decisions that many allies say shows the alliance is not dying, as France has suggested.

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