The NATO chairman said Trump's remarks could put the lives of the United States and the European Union at risk.
After Donald Trump invited Russia to attack a member state that he believes is not fulfilling its financial obligations, NATO Chairman Jens Stoltenberg said that any attack on the Western military alliance would be met with a "united and strong response."
"Any suggestion that allies do not defend each other undermines our security, including that of the United States, and puts American and European soldiers at greater risk," Stoltenberg said in a statement. I expect that no matter who wins the election, the United States will remain a strong and loyal NATO ally. ”
He said NATO remains "ready and capable of defending all allies."
Speaking at a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, on February 10, 2024, Donald Trump said he would "encourage" Russia to attack any U.S. NATO ally that he believes is not paying its fair share.
The White House called the remarks "shocking and unhinged."
The former ** expressed doubts about the assistance provided by Ukraine in defending itself against the Russian invasion in February 2022, while also about the presence of NATO, a 31-nation alliance that the United States has promised to defend if necessary.
On Saturday, Trump claimed that at an unspecified NATO meeting, he told a head of state that under his leadership, the United States would not defend any country that "broke the law."
One of the ** of a big country stood up and said: 'Well, sir, if we don't pay, and we are attacked by Russia, will you protect us?' 'Are you breaking the law?' Trump said, adding, "No, I'm not going to protect you." In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever they wanted. You have to pay. You have to pay your bills. ”
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosinyak-Kamish wrote on X: "NATO's motto 'One for all, all for one' is a concrete commitment. ”
"Undermining the credibility of allies means weakening NATO as a whole," he added. No campaign campaign can be an excuse to play with the security of the Union. ”
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, wrote on x that "reckless rhetoric" about NATO security and unity is only in the interests of Russia**Vladimir Putin. "They don't bring more security or peace to the world," Michelle said. "On the contrary, they once again stressed the urgent need for the EU to further develop its strategic autonomy and invest in its defense. And keep our alliance strong. ”
EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton told France Channel LCI that Trump's comments on spending on NATO membership are not new. "We've heard about ...... beforeThere's nothing new under the sun," he said.
Breton added that European leaders understand that the EU needs to separately increase its own military spending and capabilities, as well as defend its sovereignty. "We can't toss a coin every four years for our security, depending on this or that election, the U.S. ** election," he said. ”
Breton told LCI that Trump's description of the meeting with NATO leaders was incorrect. "His memory may be a little problematic, but he was actually a woman leader, not a country, but a woman leader in the European Union," Breton said. He was referring to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and a conversation she had with Trump. In 2020.
In London, Peter Ricketts, a member of the House of Lords who served as NATO's permanent representative in Brussels, wrote on X: "It is unlikely that the ** of a European 'power' will ask him this question (or hit** him)." Trump seems to think that NATO is like a country club: you pay the United States 2% of GDP, and then the United States provides defense services. Trust between NATO allies has been seriously eroded. ”
"NATO is currently in the strongest position ever, both because of the strong transatlantic ties and because of the domestic deterrence and defense tasks being carried out by European allies," said Jan Lipavsky, Minister of the Czech Republic. In the face of the greatest threat since the end of World War II, we are increasing our defense budget and gaining new capabilities, many of which come from the United States. ”
White House spokesman Andrew Bates, asked about Trump's remarks, said: "Encouraging the ** regime to invade our closest ally is shocking and unhinged, and it jeopardizes America's *** global stability and our domestic economy." ”
The NATO treaty contains a clause that guarantees that member countries defend each other in the event of an attack.
In 2014, after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, NATO countries agreed to halt post-Cold War spending cuts and planned to spend 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024.
As of 2022, NATO reported that 7 of the 31 NATO member states currently meet this obligation, up from 3 in 2014. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine spurred some NATO members to increase military spending.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump warned Western allies that the United States under his leadership might abandon NATO treaty commitments and protect only countries that meet the alliance's 2% goal.
In campaign speeches, Trump remained skeptical of organizations such as NATO, often lamenting that the United States had spent billions of dollars on this military alliance, and that NATO's support was essential for Ukraine to counter the Russian invasion.
Well, 2023 isn't quite going as planned, is it?
In the UK, after a rollercoaster ride of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised us that a stable and capable ** will not forget professionalism, integrity and accountability. Remember Liz? Today, she seems to be a long-forgotten comedian. Instead, Sunak takes us further through the mirror to understand the psychodrama of the Conservative Party.
Elsewhere, the situation is not much better. In the United States, Donald Trump is now the person many most want to be re-elected. In Ukraine, the war has been dragging on with no end in sight. The danger of the rest of the world falling into combat fatigue and loss of interest is obvious. Then there's the war in the Middle East, and there's the climate crisis, ......
But with a new year brings new hope. Elections are held in many countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. We must believe in change. Better things are possible.