I’d encourage Putin to hit Nato scrimpers, blasts Trump
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has hit out after Donald Trump said he would encourage Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ with members of the alliance who don’t meet t heir defence spending targets.
The former US president sparked fury by saying that if Nato members did not spend two per cent of their GDP on defence, then America would ‘not protect’ them.
Mr Trump’s shocking claim renewed fears that if he wins November’s US presidential election he could withdraw the US f r om Nato and destroy the defence organisation, which has maintained world order since 1949. It has 31 member nations.
Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, Mr Trump recounted a meeting with Nato leaders in which the president of a ‘big country’ made an appeal to him.
According to Mr Trump, the other person said: ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’
‘I said, “You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?” He said: “Yes, let’s say that happened…” No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them [Russia] to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay.’
A spokesman for President Joe Biden said Mr Trump’s comments were ‘appalling and unhinged’.
Mr Stoltenberg, t he Nato secretary general, said: ‘Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. Nato remains ready and able to defend all allies.
‘Any attack on Nato will be met with a united and forceful response. I expect that, regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed Nato ally.’
Mr Trump’s remarks come as the US Congress debates whether to provide more aid to Ukraine, which has been f i ghting the invading Russians since 2022.
Allies of Mr Trump, the likely Republican presidential candidate, are blocking $ 60 billion of military aid desperately needed on the front line.
Since 2006, Nato members have had a guideline of spending at least two per cent of their GDP on defence by this year. More than half had come close to or met that
‘Appalling and unhinged’
goal by last year, while others are ramping up defence spending as a result of the Ukraine invasion.
In his South Carolina speech, Mr Trump appeared t o be referring to Nato’s 2018 summit when, according to claims made by world leaders, he made oblique references to not supporting America’s allies.
Last month, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said that in 2020 Mr Trump told him and EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen that if Europe came under attack, the US would not help them.
In July 2018 Mr Trump posted on social media: ‘Presidents have been trying unsuccessfully for years to get Germany and other rich Nato nations to pay more towards their protection from Russia. They pay only a fraction of their cost.
‘The US pays tens of billions of dollars too much to subsidise Europe, and loses big on trade!’
The comments are f urther evidence of Mr Trump’s affinity with Russia. He has repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin, calling him a ‘genius’ for invading Ukraine.
Mr Putin has also flattered Mr Trump, once saying that he was ‘happy’ to hear of the former US president’s promise to resolve the Ukraine war ‘in several days’.
In response to Mr Trump’s latest comments, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said: ‘Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes… endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.’