Trump again conditions US help to Nato allies on their paying ‘fair share’

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reiterated that the US would only help protect Nato members from a future attack by Russia if its European members spent more on defence.

In an interview with Britain's right-leaning GB News that was released on March 19, Trump repeated remarks that triggered an uproar both at home and abroad in February.

The former president told a campaign rally that he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to a Nato member if it was not spending enough on defence.

Trump has frequently taken aim at the failure of many of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's 32 members to meet a defence spending target of at least 2 per cent of gross domestic product.

The US military forms the core of the alliance's military power. Nato estimates have shown that only 11 members are spending at the target level.

After Trump's February comments, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said he expected 18 allies to reach the spending target in 2024.

Defending his February comments, Trump said he did not care if his political opponents used them against him in the run-up to the Nov 5 election, in which he will face Democratic President Joe Biden, a staunch supporter of Nato.

“I don't care if they use it,” Trump said. “Because what I'm saying is a form of negotiation. Why should we guard these countries that have a lot of money, and the United States was paying for most of Nato?” Trump said to interviewer and Trump ally Nigel Farage.

Asked if the US would defend Nato allies if they started to “pay their bills properly”, Trump said: “Yes. But the United States should pay its fair share, not everybody else’s fair share.”

“So if they start to play fair, America's there?” interviewer Nigel Farage asked.

“Yes. 100 per cent,” Trump replied. REUTERS