12/02/2024, 09:35
Donald Trump says Russia can do what it wants to Nato allies who pay too little
Donald Trump
Donald Trump says Russia can do what it wants to Nato allies who pay too
little
Likely Republican presidential nominee renews fears for fate of western alliance if he is re-elected
James Politi in Washington, Lauren Fedor in Columbia, South Carolina and Henry
Foy in Brussels YESTERDAY
Donald Trump said he had warned Nato allies that he would encourage Russia to
do “whatever the hell they want” if alliance members failed to meet defence
spending targets, highlighting the risk to the military pact if he wins a new term in
the White House.
But Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary-general, on Sunday said the alliance
remained “ready and able to defend all allies” in the face of military threats.
“Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our
security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at
increased risk,” he said. “I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential
election the US will remain a strong and committed Nato ally.”
Trump’s comments came during a campaign rally ahead of the Republican
presidential primary in South Carolina this month, which could help him to seal
his party’s nomination to contest the November election against Joe Biden.
The former US president, who has long been a critic of Nato and who had warm
relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, told his supporters that “Nato was
busted until I came along”. He said that during his term in office he had insisted to
European allies that “everybody’s going to pay”.
Trump recalled that one president of a Nato member country had asked him if the
US would defend it in the event of a Russian attack.
“I would not protect you,” Trump said he responded. “In fact, I would encourage
them to do whatever the hell they want. You’ve got to pay. You’ve got to pay your
bills,” he remembered saying.
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Trump’s comments are a signal that, if elected president again, he might threaten
the commitment to mutual defence that lies at the heart of the Nato alliance, at a
time when fears of Russia have sharply increased in the wake of its war against
Ukraine. The former president has recently pressed Congress to oppose the
approval of new aid to Kyiv, which would be crucial on the battlefield.
Stoltenberg has said he expects “at least half” of its members to reach a selfimposed target of spending 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on
defence. During a trip to Washington last month, he urged the US to restate its
commitment to the alliance and said a divided Nato would mean “US power is
diminished”.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s defence minister, criticised Trump’s
comments on Sunday. “No election campaign is an excuse for playing with the
security of the alliance,” he said in a post on X.
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said on X that “reckless
statements on Nato’s security and [mutual defence] solidarity serve only Putin’s
interest. They do not bring more security or peace to the world”.
Trump is the overwhelming favourite to win the Republican presidential
nomination after victories in the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary last
month, and the Nevada caucus this week.
During the South Carolina rally, Trump also mocked the husband of Nikki Haley,
his top rival for the Republican nomination. Michael Haley, a member of the Army
National Guard, is currently deployed in Africa.
“What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband? Where is he?
He’s gone,” Trump said.
Trump’s bombastic warning to Nato members, and his barb aimed at a member of
the military deployed overseas, are a reminder of the divisive rhetoric that is
fuelling his campaign and energising the Republican base, but could be damaging
with independent and swing voters.
Haley, who has sharpened her criticisms of Trump in recent weeks, said during a
campaign stop in Lexington, South Carolina: “If you mock the service of a combat
veteran, you don’t deserve a driver’s licence, let alone to be president of the US,”
she added.
In an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Haley accused Trump of siding with
Russia over US allies.
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Donald Trump says Russia can do what it wants to Nato allies who pay too little
“Now, we do want Nato allies to pull their weight,” she said. “But there are ways
you can do that without sitting there and telling Russia, have your way with these
countries.”
A White House spokesman said: “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.”
Trump, who is 77, has a slight edge in national polling averages measuring a headto-head match-up against Biden, who is 81. The president’s re-election bid was
rocked this week by the release of a report by special counsel Robert Hur on his
handling of classified documents while he was vice-president under Barack
Obama.
Hur did not issue any charges against Biden but cited the president’s “poor
memory’, triggering new concerns about the president’s age and mental fitness.
Additional reporting by Alice Hancock in Brussels
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
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