Trump says he won't defend NATO countries in defense debt

Former US President Donald Trump, the favorite for the Republican nomination in the November presidential election, said on Saturday (10.Feb.2024) that he would encourage Russia.Whatever you want” to countries NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) do not invest at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. Among the principles of a military alliance is the impetus for mutual defense of its members in the event of an external attack.

Trump's statement was made during a campaign event in Conway, South Carolina. During the NATO summit, Republicans said, “One of the presidents of a great country“He was asked if the United States would defend it if it was invaded by Russia, even if it didn't pay its due percentage. Trump reportedly replied: “Of course”.

“I will not protect you. In fact, I encourage them to do whatever they want. You have to pay the fee. They have to pay the fees“, he added.

One of NATO's main triggers is Article 5, of Collective security. An attack on one member country is considered an attack on all the countries that make up the alliance. Made up of 31 countries. The organization has among its non-binding targets investment of 2% of each country's GDP in defence. Many do not achieve this goal, but pay the costs classified as mandatory to be in NATO.

According to a report from ReutersBy 2023, NATO expected only 11 of its 31 members to meet their defense spending targets.

• Slovakia;
• to us;
• Estonia;
• Finland;
• Greece;
• Hungary;
• Latvia;
• Lithuania;
• Poland;
• England; This is
• Romania.

It leaves countries like Germany, Canada, Spain and France, for example, under the US security umbrella.

What the White House says

White House press secretary Andrew Bates called Trump's speech “Terrible and unbalanced”. When asked about the topic, he said:Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unbalanced. It threatens US national security, global stability, and our domestic economy”.