“Moscow could ‘do what it wants’ with NATO members who have not achieved their objectives in terms of military spending”, threatened Donald Trump, if he was re-elected to the White House.
A NATO leader warned on Sunday (February 11) that Donald Trump was putting allies at risk when the former US president said he would encourage Russia to attack NATO members failing to achieve their objectives by regarding military spending.
Speaking at a rally, Donald Trump said that during his presidency he told a leader that the United States would not protect a NATO member who did not pay his bills if he was attacked by Moscow.
Instead, he would “encourage” Russia “to do what it wants.”
Donald Trump was said to have said: “no, I won’t protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever they want. You must pay. You have to pay your bills”.
The remarks by the man who could be the next president of the United States have sparked deep concern in Poland, a central European country that has been under Russian control more often than not since the late 18th century. century.
The Polish Minister of Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, reacted saying that“no election campaign is an excuse to play with the security of the alliance”.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg responded that NATO’s 31 allied countries were determined to defend each other.
“NATO remains ready and able to defend all allies. Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response”said Jens Stoltenberg. “Any suggestion that Allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the United States, and places American and European soldiers at increased risk.”.
Jens Stoltenberg added in his statement that he expected that, “regardless of who wins the presidential election, the United States remains a strong and committed NATO ally.”
NATO member states are required to come to the aid of other member states. Many experts say NATO is a vital defense alliance that has helped reduce wars and conflicts.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates called Donald Trump’s comments a “dismaying and unbalanced”asserting that“encouraging invasions by our closest allies (…) endangers American national security, global stability and our national economy”.
After Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, NATO member states agreed to spend 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024, reversing decades of cuts since the war cold.
Concerns about US support in Europe
Donald Trump’s comments come as Ukraine is fighting against the Russian army, its counter-offensive has failed and arms deliveries are lacking. They also come as the American Congress is torn apart over financial support for Ukraine: 60 billion that Kyiv desperately needs to try to break the current impasse on the military front.
Donald Trump’s comments also risk offending European capitals, as the chances of a clash between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election increase.
Many U.S. allies fear a second term for Donald Trump would be an earthquake, but concerns are growing that Washington could become less trustworthy, whoever wins.
With a divided electorate and a gridlocked Congress, the next US president could easily be busy with domestic challenges – even before dealing with multiple flashpoints around the world, from Ukraine to the Middle East.
The recent statement by French President Emmanuel Macron was blunt: “America’s first priority is itself”.
The first Trump administration tested ties between the United States and its allies, particularly in Europe.
He has derided the leaders of some friendly nations, including Germany’s Angela Merkel and Britain’s Theresa May, while praising authoritarians such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Poutine.
In his campaign speeches, Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked international organizations such as NATO, denouncing the billions spent by Washington on their maintenance.
He alarmed Western allies by warning that the United States could abandon its commitments to NATO and only come to the defense of countries that meet its 2 percent military spending target.
When he was president, Donald Trump eventually approved NATO’s Article 5, which states that an armed attack against one or more of its members must be considered an attack against all members.
But he has often portrayed NATO allies as Washington leeches and openly questioned the value of the military alliance that has defined U.S. foreign policy for decades.
In 2022, NATO reported that seven of its current 31 member countries met this obligation, up from three in 2014.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has prompted some NATO members to increase their military spending.