GOP front-runner said he encouraged Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to member countries he views as not spending enough on own defense.
Former President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of NATO during a rally at Coastal Carolina University, revealing that he suggested to a foreign leader that he would support Russia’s actions against countries he deemed insufficient in defense spending.
Trump recounted a conversation where he indicated to the leader that he wouldn’t intervene if Russia attacked their country due to delinquent payments to NATO. This revelation emerges amid GOP deliberations over providing additional foreign aid to Ukraine, currently engaged in a conflict with Russia following Moscow’s invasion in 2022. While the Senate considers allocating $60 billion to Ukraine, House Republicans, mirroring Trump’s skepticism, have raised doubts about such assistance.
Donald Trump has persistently criticized U.S. involvement in NATO, frequently targeting European nations over their defense spending contributions. He seemed to allude to indirect funding as part of NATO participation. Since 2006, NATO members have aimed to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense by 2024. Prior to Trump’s presidency, NATO countries were already increasing defense spending, especially after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. As of 2023, more than half of NATO members have either met or approached this target, with many increasing spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has previously indicated that he hinted at not guaranteeing protection to NATO allies in the event of a Russian attack. At a 2022 event at the Heritage Foundation, he recounted a meeting where he suggested he might not invoke NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause if other countries didn’t bolster their defense spending.
The recent remarks by Trump appear to build on an anecdote likely referencing NATO’s 2018 summit, although previous reports suggested his threats were not as explicit. Trump’s comments during Saturday’s rally represent an escalation from his earlier statements.
Article 5 of NATO stipulates that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, compelling collective defense measures. Since NATO’s inception in 1949, Article 5 has been invoked only once, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
Numerous NATO partnership experts have criticized Trump’s comprehension of member countries’ financial obligations within NATO, contending that his opposition to collective security as a member nation is misguided. They argue that Trump’s stance overlooks the fundamental principles of NATO’s alliance structure.