NAfter statements by US presidential candidate Donald Trump, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned against suggestions that allies could not fulfill their obligation to provide assistance in the event of an attack. “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all our security, including that of the United States,” Stoltenberg said on Sunday.
This means that American and European players have more risk. He expects the United States to remain a strong and steadfast NATO ally regardless of who wins the presidential election. Trump wants to run again for the Republican Party in the November election.
At a campaign event in the state of South Carolina, the former US president once asked him if “the president of a great country” would protect the country from Russia even if it didn't pay for defense spending. He replied: “No, I will not protect you.” Indeed, he would “encourage Russia to do whatever they want.” It's unclear whether such a conversation has ever happened between Trump and a head of state, as Republicans also said: “Let's say it happened.”
Stoltenberg insisted on Sunday that NATO is ready and able to defend all allies. “Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and strong response,” Norway said. EU Council President Charles Michel has criticized NATO's “irresponsible statements” on defense as only serving Russian President Vladimir Putin's interests. The EU needs to become more independent, invest in its security and stand together.
“It refers primarily to the Germans”
CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen warned in the “Bild” newspaper that Germany should “prepare for the possibility that Donald Trump will win the US election in the autumn”. It could push NATO into an existential crisis because Trump sees the defense alliance as purely transactional, the former head of the foreign affairs committee told Bundestag. “In his view, anyone who doesn't pay enough will not be protected by the United States.” In Trump's view, he declares states that don't pay “fair game.” This primarily refers to us Germans.
So Germany “has to quickly understand that in times of war in Europe we have no choice but to defend ourselves. We as Europeans have to do this, because anything else would be capitulation to Putin,” Rotgen said. In concrete terms, this means “massively increasing arms production in Europe.” he demanded.
White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates in Washington strongly criticized Trump's statements on Saturday evening (local time). “The encouragement of invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and worrisome — and threatens US national security, global security and the stability of our domestic economy,” Bates said.
Mass deportations were announced
Trump, who ruled the White House from 2017 to 2021, has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the US from the security alliance. The Republican Party is seeking re-election as president this November and is fighting for his nomination in his party's primaries. Among other things, he advertises that he wants to pursue a fundamental reassessment of NATO.
For months, his party has been blocking billions more in aid to Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. On Wednesday, a legislative package that included billions in support for Israel and US border security and about 60 billion euros (€56 billion) in new aid to Kiev failed in the Senate.
In South Carolina, Trump celebrated the defeat of the legislative package and announced mass deportations if he is re-elected. “From day one, I will end the entire open border policy of the Biden administration, and we will begin the largest national deportation crackdown in the history of the United States,” the Republican said. “We had no choice.”
The so-called National Security Amendment includes a total of $20.2 billion for border security. Additionally, the compromise negotiated by Democrats and Republicans included several changes to immigration policy.
Taunt vs Nikki Haley
At the rally, Trump also mocked his rival for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley, a former governor of the US state. Addressing voters in Haley's home state, Trump raised the question of whether her husband, Michael, would remain on the campaign trail. “Where's your husband? Oh, he's out of town (…) What happened to your husband?” Trump scoffed.
The addressee hit back at the online site X which was Twitter. “Michael is serving our country and you don't know it. There is no place as commander in chief for someone who doesn't continue to honor the sacrifices of military families.” Haley wrote Mentions that her husband was sent to the Horn of Africa.
Haley is considered Trump's only internal rival in the Republican presidential race. However, in the primaries already held, he always trailed the former president.
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