Trump suggests he’d disregard NATO treaty, urge Russian attacks on allies

Former president Donald Trump appears at a campaign event Saturday at Coastal Carolina University, in Conway, S.C. ramped up his attacks on NATO on Saturday, claiming he suggested to a foreign leader that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to member countries“One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?,’” Trump said during a rally at Coastal Carolina University.

Since 2006, each NATO member has had a guideline of spending at least 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense spending by 2024. NATO countries were already increasing their funding substantially before Trump’s presidency, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. More than half have met or come close to that goalTrump has previously suggested that he threatened not to protect NATO allies from a Russian attack.

Several NATO partnership experts described Trump’s understanding of the financial obligations of NATO member countries as inaccurate, and argued that his opposition to collective security as a member nation is misplaced.“NATO isn’t a pay to play set up, as Trump seems to think.

“Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged – and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.

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