During campaign remarks in Conway, South Carolina, Donald Trump says as president he warned NATO allies that he would tell Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that had not met the alliance’s financial commitments.
Nato members agree to spend at least 2% of their gdp on defense. In 2017 only four members were spending at least 2% on defense. Trump threatened nato members as the US was paying for almost the entire nato security burden. Now in 2023 there are 10/31 members meeting that 2% still a long shot away from what is needed.
He referred to Russia because Russia is an immediate threat to europeans in nato and currently the US is the main deterrent.
In addition to what the OP replied, the nato is first and foremost a construct that has allowed the United States to achieve global hegemony in the past. It is a device to further American interests and provide them with a bloc of reliable ideological allies. This petty bitching about a (in the grand picture) very minuscule amount of money is essentially sawing the tree they sit on.
The US global hegemony is under threat, America needs more than just ideological allies who talk, America need allies that they can actually rely on. Europe is nothing without security and its completely fair for the US to ask Europe to meet their very small minimum security obligations. The US isn’t sawing the branch they are sitting on they are trying to reinforce it. I admit threatening your allies is a risky strat and probably wouldnt be my approach but trump is trump and I believe the end goal will be a stronger nato.
The foundation of nato is the unequivocal promise that members will militarily protect each other from outside aggressors.
I am actually not in disagreement with you that Europe needs to up its commitments and improve their own forces, but the simple idea on the table that this promise is not unconditional is extremely dangerous. It undermines the trust that must exist, what good is an ally if they will betray you when it suits them?
Any other measure america could have taken to encourage more financial commitment from the other nations would have been more appropriate than this. Backroom threats of economic sanctions or treaty dismissals for example. But certainly not opening up the possibility that america is not a reliable ally.
He referred to Russia because Russia is an immediate threat to europeans in nato and currently the US is the main deterrent.
He said he would send Russia after NATO if they didn’t do what he wanted. That’s the mob boss saying he would send his minions after you. That does not line up with what you’re saying and is kind of funny when you think about it, Trump was saying Putin was his bitch, lol.
So many crimes out in the open, this is him saying he’s a traitor out loud.
This has been his approach to nato for many years.
In my opinion Nato needs to be threatened with exclusion from us protection.
2 things:
Nato members agree to spend at least 2% of their gdp on defense. In 2017 only four members were spending at least 2% on defense. Trump threatened nato members as the US was paying for almost the entire nato security burden. Now in 2023 there are 10/31 members meeting that 2% still a long shot away from what is needed.
He referred to Russia because Russia is an immediate threat to europeans in nato and currently the US is the main deterrent.
In addition to what the OP replied, the nato is first and foremost a construct that has allowed the United States to achieve global hegemony in the past. It is a device to further American interests and provide them with a bloc of reliable ideological allies. This petty bitching about a (in the grand picture) very minuscule amount of money is essentially sawing the tree they sit on.
The US global hegemony is under threat, America needs more than just ideological allies who talk, America need allies that they can actually rely on. Europe is nothing without security and its completely fair for the US to ask Europe to meet their very small minimum security obligations. The US isn’t sawing the branch they are sitting on they are trying to reinforce it. I admit threatening your allies is a risky strat and probably wouldnt be my approach but trump is trump and I believe the end goal will be a stronger nato.
The foundation of nato is the unequivocal promise that members will militarily protect each other from outside aggressors.
I am actually not in disagreement with you that Europe needs to up its commitments and improve their own forces, but the simple idea on the table that this promise is not unconditional is extremely dangerous. It undermines the trust that must exist, what good is an ally if they will betray you when it suits them?
Any other measure america could have taken to encourage more financial commitment from the other nations would have been more appropriate than this. Backroom threats of economic sanctions or treaty dismissals for example. But certainly not opening up the possibility that america is not a reliable ally.
This isn’t strengthening the alliance.
This is going to be my last comment to you.
He said he would send Russia after NATO if they didn’t do what he wanted. That’s the mob boss saying he would send his minions after you. That does not line up with what you’re saying and is kind of funny when you think about it, Trump was saying Putin was his bitch, lol.