WASHINGTON (Reuters) - German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said she had a positive meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and saw the U.S. call for NATO partners to increase their funding for the transatlantic alliance as "a fair demand."
Von der Leyen, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said she welcomed an offer by Mattis to deepen the strategic dialogue between the two countries, and said he expressed a clear and deep commitment to NATO.
Von der Leyen said she and Mattis also agreed that many global problems could not be solved without Russia, but Moscow also needed to respect international law and the borders of other sovereign countries.