The leading candidate for the Republican nomination shows no signs of relaxing his hostile stance toward military alliances.
The White House has slammed as “unbridled” comments by President Donald Trump suggesting the United States should not support NATO, which protects allies from possible Russian attacks.
The former U.S. president appeared to be talking about his previous meetings with NATO leaders at a recent political rally in South Carolina on Saturday, saying the allies were rushing to each other's defenses. He claimed to have spoken to the President of the United States.
“If we don't pay and Russia attacks, will you protect us?'' he recalled the leader saying.
“I said, ‘Aren’t you paying? Are you in arrears? ' He said, 'Yes, let's say that happened.' No, I won't protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever they want to do. Must be paid. ”
“Encouraging a brutal regime to invade its closest ally is horrifying and inexcusable, and threatens the national security of the United States, global stability,” White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement. It is putting the domestic economy at risk.”
Bates added that President Joe Biden, who is up for re-election in November, has energized the alliance since taking office in 2021, making NATO “the biggest and most important thing we've ever had.”
“Rather than calling for war or promoting extraordinary chaos, President Biden will continue to strengthen American leadership and stand up for, not against, our national security interests.” he said in a statement.
The laws of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military alliance of 29 European countries and two North American countries, include a clause that states that NATO must protect member countries that are attacked.
This is not the first time the front-runner for the Republican nomination for the next presidential election has criticized the alliance.
President Trump has threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO. He also suggested he might cut Washington's funding for the organization, repeatedly complaining that the U.S. pays more than it should.
The conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of letting up, raising concerns about the impact of President Trump's possible victory in November.
Kiev is desperately seeking funds to further its war effort. The European Union agreed earlier this month to provide an additional 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in aid to Ukraine, but Mr. is stuck in political conflict.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last month that Trump's second term as president would not jeopardize America's membership in the military bloc.
The official, who has urged member states to increase military spending, said European allies were “moving in the right direction” by increasing their military contributions.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, U.S. aid to Ukraine has totaled about $75 billion, with other NATO members and partners providing more than $100 billion, Stoltenberg said. Stated.
