Trump said that when he was president, he told the leaders of NATO countries that it is pointless to wait for US help without sufficient investments in our own defense.
of the United States former president Donald Trump has attracted attention again with his comments about the military alliance NATO and Russia. Trump bluntly stated at a campaign meeting on Saturday that the United States should not protect NATO countries that do not pay the alliance's required share of their defense spending from Russian attack.
Trump is very likely to be the Republican presidential candidate in next November's election, so his words carry weight.
As president, Trump emphatically demanded that the European NATO countries take more responsibility for their own defense and increase their defense spending to at least two percent of the gross national product, as required by NATO.
“I said that 'everyone has to pay.' They said 'what if we don't pay, will you still protect us?' I said 'no way.' They didn't believe the answer,” Trump said CNN's along on Saturday at a campaign event in Conway, South Carolina.
According to Trump, “the president of a major country” asked him if the United States would come to their aid if Russia attacked, even if they had not paid the required share.
“No, I wouldn't protect you. In fact, I would encourage them [Venäjää] to do whatever pleases them. You have to pay,” Trump recounted his conversation.
White the house reacted to Trump's comments, calling them “shocking and mindless.” The White House statement emphasized that the President Joe Biden has strengthened the US's alliance relations during his term of office.
“Encouraging murderous regimes to attack our closest allies is shocking and insane — and endangers US national security, global stability and our own economy,” White House Rep. Andrew Bates said in a statement.
Trump has often found understanding with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump already caused concern in the European NATO countries during his presidency because his commitment to the common defense of the alliance did not seem as strong as that of previous US presidents. of The New York Times during his time as president, he even expressed several times in private conversations that he would like the United States to withdraw from NATO.
Even after his presidency, Trump has often been seen as sympathizing with the Russian president in his statements Vladimir Putin.
Trump's return to the presidency in January 2025 is entirely possible, which is why the US's commitment to NATO has also been prominently featured in the Finnish presidential election, which culminates on Sunday.
Both second-round presidential candidates Alexander Stubb (cook) and Pekka Haavisto (vihr) have said that Europe must in any case take more responsibility for its own defense.
European countries have increased their defense spending significantly, especially after Russia attacked Ukraine.
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