President resumes criticism of NATO

Trump says U.S. not being treated fairly by European allies

WASHINGTON – After taking criticism in Europe for his “America First” foreign policy, President Donald Trump resumed his complaints about NATO and the costs of the military partnership with Europe on Monday.

“Just returned from France where much was accomplished in my meetings with World Leaders,” Trump tweeted the morning after events marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. “Never easy bringing up the fact that the U.S. must be treated fairly, which it hasn’t, on both Military and Trade.”

Trump’s tweets reiterated his complaints about the high cost of providing military protection for countries that sell the USA more goods and services than they buy.

He called for “FREE and FAIR!” trade.

Trump has railed repeatedly against the U.S. costs of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which calls for a common defense among primarily European countries.

“It is time that these very rich countries either pay the United States for its great military protection, or protect themselves,” Trump tweeted.

Without specifying whom, Trump said he told world leaders “this situation cannot continue.”

The United States spends the highest share of its economy on NATO, at 3.5 percent, and Luxembourg spends the lowest, at a little more than half of 1 percent. The 29 members of NATO pledged to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024. Only five countries meet that goal – the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece, Estonia and Latvia.

Trump criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for calling last week for a continental military group independent of the United States.