NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump said that as president he warned NATO allies that he would “encourage Russia to do whatever they want” against countries that are “delinquent” as he led his frontrunner for the Republican nomination. attacks on foreign aid and long-standing international alliances. The NATO leader said Trump’s words could undermine security and endanger US and European forces.
At a rally on Saturday in Conway, South Carolina, Trump told a story he had previously told about an unidentified NATO member who confronted him about his threat to kill members who fail to meet the transatlantic alliance’s defense spending targets to defend, not to defend.
But this time, Trump went further, saying he told the member that he would essentially “encourage” Russia to do whatever it wants in that case.
“You haven’t paid? Are you delinquent? ” Trump said. ‘No, I wouldn’t protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever they want. You have to pay. You have to pay your bills. ”
NATO allies agreed in 2014, after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, to end post-Cold War austerity and spend 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement on Sunday that “any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines our entire security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers in greater danger.” For the defense minister in Poland, which has more often than not been under Russian control since the late 18th century, “no election campaign is an excuse to play with the security of the alliance.”
Earlier, White House spokesman Andrew Bates responded to Trump’s comments by saying that “encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is abhorrent and unhinged – and it threatens America’s national security, global stability and our economy.” endangers your home.”
Trump’s comments come as Ukraine remains mired in its efforts to avert Russia’s 2022 invasion and as Republicans in Congress have grown increasingly skeptical about providing additional aid money to the country, which is struggling with stalled counteroffensives and shortages of weapons.
Trump also called for an end to foreign aid “WITHOUT “COMMITMENT”,” arguing that the US should drastically limit the way it provides money.
“ARE YOU LISTENING FROM THIS POINT THE US SENATE(?), NO MONEY IN THE FORM OF FOREIGN AID SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ANY COUNTRY UNLESS IT IS DONE AS A LOAN AND NOT JUST A GIVEAWAY,” Trump wrote on his social media network. In Capital Letters.
Trump went on to say that the money could be borrowed “ON EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD TERMS,” with no interest and no date for repayment. But he said, “If the country we are helping ever turns against us, or it becomes rich at some point in the future, IN THE FUTURE THE LOAN WILL BE PAID AND THE MONEY RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES.”
During his 2016 campaign, Trump alarmed Western allies by warning that the United States, under his leadership, could abandon its NATO treaty obligations and only defend countries that meet the alliance’s guidelines by contributing 2 percent of their gross domestic product on military activities. expenditure.
As president, Trump ultimately endorsed NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, which states that an armed attack on one or more of its members must be considered an attack on all members. But he often portrayed NATO allies as leeches for the U.S. military and openly questioned the value of the military alliance that has defined U.S. foreign policy for decades.
“NATO has been a success story over the last 75 years,” said Republican Party presidential rival Nikki Haley, Trump’s U.N. ambassador. She told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that after the September 11 attacks, “we needed a lot of friends.” We can never get to the point where we don’t need friends anymore. Now we want NATO allies to do their part. But there are ways you can do that without just sitting there and saying to Russia, have your way with these countries.”
As of 2022, NATO reported that seven of the now 31 NATO member states met this obligation – up from three in 2014. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has led to additional military spending by some NATO members.
Trump has often tried to take credit for that increase, boasting again on Saturday that as a result of his threats, “hundreds of billions of dollars ended up in NATO” — even though countries do not pay NATO directly.
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AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.