Mattis heads to Europe

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis embarks Sunday on a trip to Europe that will include stops in Finland, Belgium and the United Kingdom, according to a Pentagon announcement.

Mattis will begin his trip in Helsinki, where he'll meet with the Northern Group, a 12-country forum composed of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom.

The secretary will then travel to Brussels to attend a NATO defense ministerial and host a separate meeting with representatives from the international coalition working to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

“The trip will underscore the commitment of the United States to our NATO alliance and to defeating ISIS,” according to the Pentagon.

Mattis will conclude his travels in London, where he will meet with the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson.