Defense Secretary James Mattis began a five-day visit to Europe as part of efforts to maintain key U.S. military relations with European allies.
The Defense Department said Friday Mattis will participate in a Northern Group forum on Monday and Tuesday in Helsinki, Finland, to meet with his counterparts from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the U.K.
After that, he will attend a NATO-hosted defense ministers meeting and then lead a separate meeting with ministers to address coalition efforts against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
He will be going to London on Friday and meet with Gavin Williamson, U.K.’s newly appointed defense secretary.
