NATO 'SPEED-DATING'
For many NATO allies, this week's NATO defense ministerial will be a chance to get a sense of Esper and the direction he'll take the Pentagon.
It will be a similar opportunity for Esper, who sent guidance to U.S. forces on Monday saying the Pentagon's priorities - including goals like strengthening U.S. alliances - remained unchanged.
"A NATO ministerial is a good way to get to know key partners, kind of like diplomatic speed-dating," said Derek Chollet, a former senior Pentagon official during the Obama administration.
Chollet said allies would be closely watching for hints about the kind of role Esper will play, including whether he might be like Jim Mattis, Trump's first defense secretary who was a strong advocate for NATO and was seen as a moderating influence on the U.S. president.
Mattis, who resigned in December over policy differences with Trump, brought Esper into the job.
One European diplomat joked: "Jim Mattis is not someone we can clone, as much as we’d like to, but Esper is talked about positively."
"Everyone will want to make a good impression and to get some time because he is the new face of the Pentagon," the diplomat said.
