Russia

Tillerson to Skip Meeting of NATO Summit, Plans Russia Trip

Tillerson's decision will likely raise eyebrows among some of the United States' European partners

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to skip what would have been his first official meeting with NATO in April, NBC News reported, and he plans to travel later in the month to a series of unspecified meetings in Russia.

A State Department spokesman confirmed the Russia trip to NBC News, and added that Tillerson will meet almost all of the alliance's members Wednesday at a summit on ISIS in Washington that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will also attend.

Tillerson's decision will nevertheless likely raise eyebrows among the United States' European partners, some of which have expressed concern about President Donald Trump's mixed signals on whether he would protect them against Russia.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has neither confirmed nor denied Tillerson's trip.

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