After abandoning veiled threats to abandon NATO, former US President and Republican candidate for the November elections, Donald Trump, has now confirmed that his country will remain in NATO, as long as European Union countries “treat America fairly.”
In an interview with GB News, Trump criticized some European Union countries for “exploiting” NATO, and pressured them to “pay” to ensure American support.
Trump has often criticized NATO and its members, such as Germany, accusing them of not paying enough to defend themselves and relying on Washington to protect them.
“They could use this [que eu estou a dizer]I don't mind if they use it. Because what I'm saying is a form of negotiation. Why should we protect these countries that have a lot of money when the United States was paying most of NATO's costs? When I went there, I had already discussed this with them [no passado]He pointed out.
Trump has often accused other NATO members of not paying their dues, giving the impression that the alliance resembles a “club with membership fees.” In 2017, while president, he directly rebuked NATO member states for not meeting their financial obligations to the alliance.
“NATO wasn't paying. I went to the first meeting at the beginning of my term and saw what was happening and said: You're all going to have to pay your bills,” the former president stated. In the second meeting, I discussed the matter seriously with them.”
Trump stressed that NATO needs to treat the United States fairly, because, according to him, without the United States, NATO would not exist.
The businessman concluded by saying that if countries start paying appropriately, America will be there to defend them.
William Shakespeare is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, history, and current affairs. With a keen eye for storytelling and analysis, he produces informative articles that help readers understand the people, ideas, and events influencing modern life.