Former President of the United States, Donald Trump, once again criticized NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries that do not sufficiently finance the bloc's collective defense, failing to fulfill their commitment to invest 2% of their Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) in military spending.
The statements were made at an election rally by the Republican pre-candidate held on Saturday (10), in the state of South Carolina.
Apparently recalling some occasion, which he did not specify, Trump reported: “I said, 'Everybody's going to pay.' They said, 'Well, if we don't pay, are you still going to protect us?' I said, 'absolutely not.' They couldn’t believe the answer.”, stated the former president.
Trump went further. He said that once, a president of a large country (he didn't mention which one) asked him if the US would still defend this country if it were invaded by Russia.
The former president then reported the answer he gave at the time: “No, I wouldn’t protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever they want. You have to pay. You have to pay your bills.”, declared the Republican.
Reactions to Trump's speeches
In response to the statements, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accused the former US president this Sunday (11) of “undermining the security” of the countries in the military alliance.
“Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines our entire security, including that of the United States, and puts American and European soldiers at greater risk,” Stoltenberg said in a press release.
The Norwegian also expressed the hope that the US “will continue to be a strong and committed ally” of NATO “regardless of who wins the presidential election” that the country will hold in November 2024, for which Trump is a pre-candidate for the Party Republican.
Who also reacted to the North American's statements was the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. He accused Trump of “serving the interests” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and of bringing “neither security nor more peace to the world” with these statements.
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