Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that if Trump is re-elected as the United States, he will not hesitate to withdraw from NATO. This is another stern warning from an American heavyweight against Trump.
Hillary Clinton and Trump can be said to be old rivals. In 2016, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton and was elected as the United States. In many cases, an adversary tends to know a person better than a friend, because the adversary repeatedly studies and analyzes his enemies.
And Hillary Clinton is not only Trump's main opponent, she also served as the US Secretary of State, is the wife of former ** Clinton, and has long been in the high-level inner circle of the United States. Therefore, she said that Trump will withdraw the United States from NATO, which deserves everyone's attention.
Coincidentally, Dearlove, the former head of MI6 in the United Kingdom, also said that Trump's position on NATO issues may cause "problems" for the United Kingdom, and if he is re-elected as the United States, it will be a disaster for NATO.
Why do they say that?
Because, for NATO, Trump has been unhappy for a long time. Trump previously made remarks that NATO is "outdated", arguing that NATO not only allows European countries to "free ride the United States" on security affairs, but also is powerless to deal with the threat of terrorism in the new situation.
What makes Trump particularly dissatisfied is that the United States spends a lot of money, and a large part of its resources are invested in protecting Europe, but European countries are unwilling to spend money on national defense.
Some time ago, at a campaign rally, Trump mentioned that "a great power" had asked him if the United States would still provide protection if they did not contribute money but were invaded by Russia.
Trump replied: "No, I will not protect you, in fact, I will encourage Russia to do whatever they want." ”
Trump's remarks have triggered strong condemnation and panic from countries from the United States to Europe. Many European countries are worried about whether the United States will come to their aid if they are invaded. Will NATO, which has long been the pillar of European security, suddenly collapse? European countries know very well that without the protection of the United States, they will not be able to stop Russia on their own.
Of course, with the US Congress in charge, it will be extremely difficult for Trump to get the US out of NATO. However, the United States enjoys enormous power in foreign affairs, and if Trump is really elected as the next president of the United States, according to his current attitude towards NATO, he can completely cause all kinds of serious harm to NATO.
For example, he could stop funding NATO, refuse to participate in NATO meetings and military exercises, or even refuse to provide assistance in the event of an invasion of NATO allies. If this happens, then NATO will really fall into "brain death", as the French Macron said.
In fact, historically, the United States has adhered to an isolationist attitude most of the time, only hoping to make a lot of money and live a good life behind closed doors, and is unwilling to get involved in the bad things in Europe. After the end of World War I, the United States, as the victorious power, refused to participate in the League of Nations. It was not until after World War II that the United States fully participated in international affairs, led the formulation of a series of international rules, and reaped huge benefits for itself.
And now, the new isolationism in the United States, with the rise of Trump, is once again about to become the mainstream public opinion in the United States.
In other words, the United States in 2024 may once again stand at a crossroads. It remains to be seen whether the United States will continue its current international strategy, or whether it will shrink significantly from the international community or even withdraw from NATO, as Trump has propagated.