Vice President Mike Pence told allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels that President Trump expected to see "real progress" by NATO members in raising their defense spending by the end of 2017.
A United Nations reports the number of children killed and wounded rose 24 percent in 2016, and that all sides, including the U.S., are to blame for leaving unexploded ordnance in civilian areas.
European leaders are concerned after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said during an interview that the EU is "basically a vehicle for Germany" and reiterated that NATO is "obsolete."
By refusing to respond to the sanctions, Russian President Putin spurned Obama and kept up what has looked like a public bromance with the president-elect, who in turn called him "very smart!"
U.S. troops are training in Estonia, just 70 miles from the Russian border. It points to NATO's increased activity in the Baltic states and Poland amid the growing tensions with Moscow.
Turkish officers in Brussels say their government is firing them and sending them home. Some are in hiding or seeking asylum, fearing imprisonment or worse. They deny they were part of a coup attempt.
The president-elect called the alliance "obsolete" and said European countries weren't paying their share. This has created hand-wringing in the bedrock institution of Western security.
U.S. military personnel came under fire while assisting Afghan partners battling the Taliban in Kunduz district, NATO says. Local officials are reportedly investigating claims of civilian casualties.