In an interview with the British politician Nigel Farage, which was broadcast on British television on Tuesday evening, Donald Trump expressed his support for the NATO defense alliance.
At the same time, he warned the European member states not to take advantage of the support from the United States.
– NATO must treat the US fairly, because if it weren’t for the US, NATO literally wouldn’t even exist, says Trump according to Politico.
The new NATO move comes just over a month after Donald Trump threatened member states that pay too little to the defense alliance with Russia.
– No, I wouldn’t protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You have to pay your bills, the former president said during a rally in the state of South Carolina.
The statement has caused growing concern in Europe about what might happen to NATO cooperation if Donald Trump wins the fall presidential election in the United States.
Staying – if Europe pays its fair share
In the interview with Nigel Farage, known among other things as party leader of the Brexit Party, Trump speaks with a softer stance about the defense alliance. Among other things, the former president answered yes to the question of whether the US would assist a NATO country that is attacked during his presidency, but at the same time underlined that the US will not pay for all other member states.
“So if they pay their fair share the US will come to the rescue?” asks Farage.
“Yes, 100 percent,” answers Donald Trump.
The goal of the NATO defense alliance is for the member states to spend the equivalent of at least two percent of their GDP on defense.
During his term as president of the United States, Donald Trump threatened to leave NATO on repeated occasions, but no withdrawal ever materialized.