Before siding with Russia, Trump dissed the EU

LETTERS LETTERS@USATODAY.COM

On the eve of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Trump stated: “I think the European Union is a foe.” Calling the European Union a “foe” of the United States is not very smart and one must wonder just how mentally unbalanced the president really is.

The European Union is our ally and the United States would be in big trouble if, God forbid, we end up in another world war or a major conflict some- where in the world. And if this wasn’t bad enough, Trump had previously dissed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as “obsolete.” NATO is an intergovernmental alliance between 29 countries, which is essentially a system of collective defense.

While we are a very strong country, we are not that strong that we would not need any help in many different ways, such as the use of air bases in European countries and supporting troops if we were to get involved in a major conflict on foreign soil.

We have spent decades enjoying a great relationship with our European allies and have always known that we could depend on them if we needed their help to fight any potential adversaries.

I hope the day never comes that we get attacked and have no European allies to help us, but unfortunately we are getting closer to that day with this president.

If the European Union is our “foe,” then I hate to think who our real enemy is! Trump is a very foolish president and is jeopardizing the safety of our nation. Brian Vukadinovich

Wheatfield, Ind.

FACEBOOK USA TODAY OPINION

After decades of the U.S. footing most of the defense budget bill, it’s time to pay up, you so-called allies!

Thank you, President Donald Trump for finally calling out NATO members on this issue.

Joe Richards