Trump doubles down on demands for NATO allies to ‘pay their bills’

Donald Trump continued his attacks on NATO Wednesday, accusing allied countries of failing to pay their fair share to support Ukraine against Russia. Days after the former president appeared to encourage Russia to attack US allies, sparking outrage in foreign capitals, and 24 hours after President Joe Biden called him “stupid,” he launched a new tirade against some of its most important international partners of Washington.

“Can someone please inform our uninformable president that NATO needs to pay their (sic) bills,” he posted on his Truth Social platform. “They are now paying a small part of what we are paying for the disaster in Ukraine that, if we had a real president, would never have happened.” There’s probably a $150 billion difference. They need to level with the US – quickly! ‘The European countries together have an economy of approximately the same size as ours. They have the money. Pay!’ The message appeared to cover two of Trump’s ongoing complaints: that NATO countries are not meeting their defense spending obligations and that Washington is shouldering a disproportionate share of the costs in Ukraine.

Although the US has spent the most in absolute terms, data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy shows that the country lags behind many other countries when the amount is expressed as a share of its wealth. So while Lithuania has contributed about 1.8 percent of its domestic product (GDP) growth, the US has contributed only 0.3 percent, putting the country in 30th place, behind countries like Ireland and Malta.

Trump has often talked about NATO states paying their bills, which critics say shows a misunderstanding of how membership works. Members do not have to pay bills (except for a small administrative levy), but have instead agreed to spend at least two percent of their gross domestic product on defense. Yet the Republican frontrunner said at a rally last weekend that he would not protect countries that were “delinquent,” as if they had not paid their bills, and that he would encourage Russia to “do whatever they want” to those countries.

NATO’s secretary general said on Wednesday that 18 members are now on track to achieve their targets this year. “That is another record number, and a sixfold increase compared to 2014, when only three allies reached the target,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

But he also called on the thirteen remaining members to do better. And he added: ‘The criticism we hear is not primarily about NATO, but about NATO allies not spending enough on NATO. And that’s a valid point.’

At the same time, he also warned nervous European countries, alarmed by Trump’s NATO comments, not to think about going it alone. ‘The European Union cannot defend Europe. Eighty percent of NATO’s defense spending comes from non-EU NATO allies,” he told Reuters.

Trump’s interventions come against the backdrop of a fraught battle on Capitol Hill as Congress considers a new $60 billion aid package. The Senate this week passed a $95 billion bill (including aid to Israel and Taiwan), but Republicans in the House of Representatives have indicated there is little chance of fully enacting it into law.

The likely impasse spurred Biden into action on Tuesday. He delivered a blistering attack on Trump and his positions on NATO and Ukraine as he urged Republicans to support the bill.

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