US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on his willingness to defend Washington’s Nato allies, saying that he would not do so if they are not paying enough for their own defense.
“It’s common sense, right,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them.”
Trump said he had been of this view for years and shared it with Nato allies during his 2017-2021 presidential term. Those efforts prompted more spending from other members of the 75-year-old transatlantic alliance, he said, but that “even now, it’s not enough.”
He added: “They should be paying more.”
Actually he is doing a:
“Give money, or I let the guy with the gun shoot you”
It’s the same scheme he uses to pressure Zelensky/Ukraine.
(The NATO agreement was “attempt for 2%” and no way to enforce it if it didn’t work out, so Trump’s whole “or else” point is a form of blackmail outside of the written agreements)
Doesn’t detract from your other point, the European armies do need a boost, have needed one for a while now. And as a combined bloc the EU should muster up a permanent standing (modern) army.
They should also buy/manufacture their own equipment to be less dependable on the whims of the US and keep their defense funds within the EU. But I’ll bet this is something Trump does not want to happen, perhaps he’ll start shouting the EU should pay HIM 5% and not NATO…
Ad a sidenote, the EU should now be seen as one financial entity and count the % to that, not individual countries.