James Mattis signs his confirmation letter to be named US Secretary of Defense in Vice President Mike Pence’s Ceremonial Office in the Old Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, January 20, 2017. WASHINGTON, United States Retired Marine general James Mattis was sworn in Friday as US defense secretary, praising intelligence agencies and calling for stronger ties with allies in a break from positions taken by President Donald Trump.

European governments struggled Tuesday to assess whether outspoken remarks by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, made in a weekend interview with two European newspapers, will be translated into new policies. European leaders had hoped that as Trump’s inauguration approached, the president-elect would tone down his campaign-trail criticism of the European Union and NATO, which he has dubbed “obsolete.”