Donald Trump with Jens Stoltenberg during a NATO meeting during his presidency. — © AP
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, reacted sharply on Sunday to Donald Trump’s “reckless” statements. NATO Secretary General Jens Soltenberg also expressed regret. The former American president threatened to no longer defend NATO member states that contribute too little to the alliance if he is re-elected.
Source: BELGA
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“The Transatlantic Alliance has been supporting the security and prosperity of Americans, Canadians and Europeans for 75 years,” Michel writes on X (formerly Twitter). “Reckless statements about NATO’s security and Art.5 solidarity only serve Putin’s interests. They do not bring more security or peace to the world.” For Michel, Trump’s statements “reemphasize the need for the European Union to urgently further develop its strategic autonomy and invest in its defense. And to keep our alliance strong.”
Article 5 stipulates that each member state of NATO is obliged to consider an attack on one member state as an attack on all member states.
Soldiers in danger
For Jens Stoltenberg, Trump’s statements weaken NATO’s security, including that of the US. “NATO remains ready and able to defend all allies,” the Norwegian responded in a statement on Sunday. “Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and strong response. “Any suggestion that allies would not defend each other weakens all our security, including that of the United States, and puts American and European soldiers in greater danger.”
“I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the United States will remain a strong and committed NATO ally,” the NATO chief added.
Encourage invasion
Donald Trump threatened on Saturday that if he is re-elected president of the United States, he would no longer defend countries that are behind on their payments to NATO and encourage Russia itself to attack them.
Trump regularly lashes out at NATO allies who do not contribute enough to the alliance. During a meeting in South Carolina, Trump cited a conversation with a head of state of a NATO country, without naming him.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates responded strongly to Trump’s statements on Saturday evening: “Encouraging the invasion of our closest allies by murderous regimes is abhorrent and senseless.”