PREVIEW - Pentagon Chief To Visit Middle East, Europe To Discuss Russia, China

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th April, 2021) US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Saturday is embarking on a trip to the middle East and Europe to discuss military ties with regional allies and common challenges, including what Pentagon describes as Russia's "destabilizing" behavior and a "rising" China.

Austin will meet with government and military leaders in Israel, Germany and the United Kingdom as well as at the NATO headquarters in Belgium.

The visit comes amid heightened tensions in Eastern Ukraine and the South China Sea and attempts to revive the Iran nuclear agreement, continued deliberations over US global military posture and, more specifically, the terms and timing of Washington's intended withdrawal from Afghanistan.

This is Austin's second foreign trip since coming into office. Last month, the Defense Secretary toured Japan, South Korea and India with a focus on strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific region.

Austin plans to reaffirm US commitment to the strategic partnership with Israel and its qualitative military edge during talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benjamin Gantz, according to the Defense Department.

In Germany, Austin will meet with Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Chancellery Foreign and Security Policy Adviser Jan Hecker to discuss the bilateral defense relationship, the combatting of malign influence of shared strategic rivals and US force posture in the country and elsewhere. Austin will also visit the US European and African command headquarters in Germany to meet with troops and highlight his vision for security interests in the region.

Austin will next travel to Belgium to meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. They plan to discuss "how the alliance is tackling destabilizing behavior by Russia, a rising China, terrorism, and global challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change."

The trip will conclude with travel to the United Kingdom for a meeting with Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace. Austin will reaffirm the importance of the two countries' defense cooperation to meet global security challenges, according to the Defense Department.