Donald Trump said on Thursday that if NATO countries do not pay enough for their defense, the United States will not defend them. This is not the first time the US President combines issues of defense expenditure with protection within the North Atlantic Alliance. He already used a similar narrative in the election campaign.
Donald Trump is considering changing the involvement of the United States under NATO, potentially making military support on the level of defense expenditure from the Member States, – NBC News said on Thursday, citing three current and former high -ranking American officials and one official from Congress.
A few hours later – on Thursday after 21. In Poland – Reuters quoted the statement of Trump, who in the White House in an interview with the media – asked about such potential changes in US foreign policy – He stated that the Member States of the North Atlantic Alliance still does not allocate enough money to defend. He added that he had already told other countries that he would not defend them if they were in charge of paying in this area.
“It's common sense: they don't pay, I won't defend them,” Trump said.
What Trump said about defense and NATO expenditure
This is not the first time the American leader combines the issue of expenditure on defending individual countries with protection within the North Atlantic Alliance.
Read the Analysis of the Specific24: Trump: You don't pay, we won't protect. Where is the NATO budget from?
Even before the inauguration, on January 7, Trump at a press conference in his MAR-A-LAGO estate in Florida stated that NATO countries should spend five percent of their GDP on defense.
Telling the story from one of the NATO peaks once again, when one of the leaders was to ask him if America would protect “non -paying their bills”, Trump mentioned that the required expenditure threshold was two percent of GDP, and should be five percent. He asked if he would strive to increase defensive expenses to this level, Trump replied in the affirmative.
– Well, I think NATO should have five percent. This cannot be done (defend yourself – ed.) With two percent. If you have a country with an ordinary army, it should seem four percent, but if you are in a dangerous zone, then they can afford it all – it should be at the level of five percent – said Trump.
He suggested that countries that do not meet these requirements will not be protected by United Statesbecause “this is how it works in life.”
Currently, no NATO state spends five percent of GDP on its defense, and Poland is closest to this threshold, which is to spend 4.7 percent this year. According to NATO data, the United States spends about 3.3 percent of GDP.
Trump also raised this topic in the election campaignj. 10 February 2024 at the election rally in South Carolina, he reported a conversation with one of the heads of NATO countries (he did not provide his name). – One of the presidents of a large country asked me: Well, sir, if we don't pay and we will be attacked by RussiaWill you protect us? I replied: No, I will not protect you. I would actually encourage them [Rosję]That they would do what they want with you. You have to pay – said the future president.
At the next rally in South Carolina, February 15, Donald Trump upheld his position. – I just said: if you don't pay, we won't protect you. And everyone was outraged that it was so bad, so terrible that I am saying something like that. No, if they don't pay their obligations, and most did not pay when I was president. There were 28 countries then, of which seven paid their participation. Seven are still very little, but always something – he explained.
Reuters, PAP, Zasta24, Newsweek
Source of the main photo: PAP/EPA