Trump says ‘ridiculous’ for US to maintain current support for NATO
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The US President’s remarks came less than a week before NATO’s summit in Turkey from July 7-8.
PHOTO: AFP
- President Trump called it "ridiculous" for the US to maintain its one-sided support for NATO, criticising European allies for not supporting the US adequately.
- Trump wants Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence, as the US has started reducing its military commitments there.
- The NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8 will see 32 member states discuss defence spending and alliance strategies amid these tensions.
AI generated
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said on July 2 it is “ridiculous” for the US to continue its “one-sided” relationship with NATO, less than a week before a NATO summit in Ankara.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “They were not there for us!!!” and Washington’s relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization “is not reciprocal”.
The President has repeatedly lashed out at European allies over their response to the war in Iran, as several countries restricted the use of bases for US forces.
Trump also insists he wants Europe to take the lead role for its own defence, and Washington has already moved to scale back commitments.
His Truth Social post on July 2 included a chart displaying the amount of NATO spending, with the United States investing vastly more than a few other member states depicted.
Under pressure from Trump, NATO leaders had agreed at a gathering in 2025 to boost defence-related spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2035.
The upcoming NATO summit, which will bring together 32 member states, will be held in the Turkish capital on July 7-8.
The alliance, founded in 1949, became a US-led defence force credited with maintaining stability in Europe, keeping the Soviet Union at bay and solidifying Washington as a world power for decades to come. AFP
