US President Donald Trump threatened NATO member countries to encourage Russia to "do whatever it wants" with them if they do not fulfill their financial obligations to the Alliance.
Trump said he would encourage Russia to attack low-paying NATO allies
During a rally in South Carolina, Trump said that NATO, before the beginning of his presidency, was allegedly bankrupt. In particular, he refused to protect allies from a theoretical threat if they refused to pay "bills".
He noted that once "one of the presidents of a great country" asked him if the United States would continue to defend them against a Russian invasion if they "did not pay."
No, I wouldn't defend you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russians, ed.) to do whatever they want. You have to pay. "You have to pay the bills," Trump said.
Donald Trump
Former US President
It should be explained that the basis of NATO is the principle of collective defense, according to which an attack on one of the allies is considered as an attack on all members of the Alliance.
For many years, as the newspaper writes, Trump has incorrectly described the NATO financing system. Member countries aim to spend at least 2% of GDP on military spending, and most countries fall short of this target.
However, 2 percent is considered only an indicative indicator, and there are no "bills" that some members of the Alliance do not pay, the publication explains.
The White House, for its part, called Trump's words "shocking and crazy." In particular, he recalled the current President Joe Biden's efforts to strengthen NATO.
What is known about NATO's financial obligations
In 2014, following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, NATO countries agreed to end spending cuts they had made since the Cold War and to commit to allocating 2% of their GDP to defense by 2024.
During his 2016 election campaign, Trump alarmed Western allies by warning that the United States under his leadership could renege on its treaty obligations to NATO and would defend only those countries that met the alliance's 2% target.
As of 2022, according to NATO data, seven of the alliance's 31 member states met this commitment — up from three in 2014. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has led to increased military spending by some NATO members.
