Trump suggests he supports Russian aggression towards NATO countries that do not meet their spending obligations.
As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump, who is currently leading in the Republican race, stated on Saturday that he had cautioned while in office.NATO allies
He stated that he would promote.Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that are “delinquent” as he ramped up his attacks on foreign aid and longstanding international alliances.
During a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump retold a previously shared anecdote about a NATO member who challenged him regarding his statement to not protect countries that do not fulfill their defense spending commitments within the alliance.
However, this time Trump went beyond his previous statement and stated that he had told the member that he would “encourage” Russia to act as it pleased in that situation.
remains mired in its efforts to stave off Russia’s 2022 invasion, and as Republicans in Congress have become increasingly skeptical
offering extra assistance
Finances being sent to the nation as it faces challenges with halted attacks and insufficient armaments.
As Trump and his team grow more assured, they anticipate securing the nomination within the next few weeks.commanding victories
During the initial voting stages of the 2024 Republican nomination process.
promised to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and make Mexico pay for it.
In his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump made a vow to construct a barrier on the border of the United States and Mexico, with the intention of having Mexico cover the cost. alarmed Western allies
The leader of the U.S. has cautioned that the country may no longer uphold its NATO treaty obligations and will only protect nations that follow the alliance’s criteria by dedicating 2% of their GDP to military expenses.
In 2022, NATO announced that seven out of the current 31 member countries were fulfilling their obligations, a significant increase from only three in 2014. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 has prompted some NATO members to increase their military expenditures.
Trump has frequently attempted to claim responsibility for the rise, and boasted once more on Saturday that, due to his warnings, “a multitude of billions of dollars flowed into NATO” – even though nations do not directly pay NATO.
As the president, Trump eventually gave his support to NATO’s Article 5, which requires all members to defend each other in the event of an armed attack. However, he frequently portrayed NATO allies as relying too heavily on the U.S. military and openly doubted the significance of this long-standing military alliance in shaping American foreign policy.
On Saturday, Trump urged for the cessation of foreign assistance without any conditions attached, stating that the U.S. should significantly reduce its funding methods.
“Moving forward, is the U.S. Senate paying attention? No foreign aid should be provided to any country without it being in the form of a loan rather than a gift,” wrote Trump on his social media platform in all capital letters.
Trump stated that the funds could be lent with favorable conditions, including no interest and no specified deadline for repayment. However, he also mentioned that if the recipient country were to become hostile towards the US or experience financial success in the future, the loan would be repaid and the money would be returned to the United States.
Source: cbsnews.com