 He served as Foreign Minister and as Vice Chancellor in Kurt Georg Kiesinger's cabinet, and became chancellor in 1969.As chancellor, he maintained West Germany's close alignment with the United States and focused on strengthening European integration in western Europe, while launching the new policy of "Ostpolitik" aimed at improving relations with Eastern Europe.Brandt was controversial on both the right wing, for his "Ostpolitik", and on the left wing, for his support of American policies, including the Vietnam War, and right-wing authoritarian regimes.