NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced record defense spending among European members and Canada, responding to former President Donald Trump's recent criticisms about the alliance's financial contributions. Trump has repeatedly emphasized that the US might not protect countries that fail to meet their defense spending obligations, a stance that has sparked considerable debate and concern. In the wake of these comments, NATO allies are reportedly increasing their defense budgets, with a record 18 of NATO's 31 countries expected to meet the alliance's spending targets. Amidst this backdrop, Trump has also suggested a NATO makeover and advocated for a push for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia if he returns to power, proposing a shift in US military aid to loans rather than direct assistance. This approach has raised questions about the future of NATO and the US's commitment to defending its allies, with critics arguing that Trump's stance could undermine the alliance's collective security principles.
🔊 Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are set to dominate the Munich Security Conference – as well as worries about US political divisions. @andrew_r_gray has more on Reuters World News daily podcast https://t.co/u6HhLeougV https://t.co/hqmk1WmsY1
⚡️The new assessments of #Russia's military potential and its threats to #NATO security have led to an increase in warnings from Western governments, cautioning about a possible Russian attack on Alliance countries, the Financial Times reported. https://t.co/uK7WXl2Vll
Trump Does not Understand or Value NATO and That’s Very Dangerous Since his comments disparaging NATO allies as a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump has learned nothing about how NATO works and why NATO serves U.S. security interests. https://t.co/BjE8tDIDrl
Leading politicians, military officers and diplomats from around the world gather in Munich for a security conference that will be dominated by the wars in Israel and Ukraine as well as fears over the US commitment to defending its allies https://t.co/qbGsj1WfQT
⚠️ WARS IN ISRAEL, UKRAINE TO DOMINATE GLOBAL SECURITY SUMMIT IN MUNICH (Reuters) Leading politicians, military officers and diplomats from around the world gather in Munich on Friday for a security conference that will be dominated by the wars in Israel and Ukraine as well as… https://t.co/5NKcR2VSJD
Former President Donald Trump said he would encourage Russia to attack fellow NATO members that do not contribute as much funding for the organization as the United States. https://t.co/VTEB6qkeOu
NEW: 🇺🇦🇺🇲🇷🇺Bloomberg: "If he wins the election, Trump will force Kiev to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia." Trump is mulling pushing Ukraine into negotiations to end the conflict with Russia if he returns to power next year, - say the publication's sources.… https://t.co/YBXbzD1TJK
Trump has already damaged NATO, although he has not yet returned to the White House Donald Trump has a real chance of returning to the White House as president - and he has already signaled what that could mean for global politics when he linked NATO aid commitments to their… https://t.co/zkIY81LgGC
The war in Ukraine and growing alarm about a second Trump presidency are likely to dominate the agenda at the Munich Security Conference. Read the Situation Report newsletter for daily updates: https://t.co/4lUDmXOFj2
Trump Does not Understand or Value NATO and That’s Very Dangerous https://t.co/BjE8tDIDrl
For days, backers of former President Trump have tried to downplay his anti-NATO rhetoric. Last night, he doubled down, saying he would “not protect” our allies if they were attacked. No matter the spin, Trump will always show his true colors. https://t.co/lBw5zfWVDF
⚡️ Former American President Donald Trump on Feb. 14 said the U.S. should provide funding to Ukraine as loans, which Kyiv would be expected to pay back, rather than donations. https://t.co/Y4gtyNpE6s
Trump pitches Ukraine aid loan Future US assistance to Kiev could be made on 'extraordinarily good terms,' the Republican presidential candidate has argued https://t.co/yGusmRVr2g https://t.co/IzOwRsrDdZ
TRUMP: "The NATO countries have to pay up! They're not paying what they should and they laugh at the stupidity of the United States of America where we have a guy that gives $60 BILLION every time somebody comes and asks for it!" https://t.co/wE9DonLwQJ
Trump offered to give Ukraine a loan Former President Donald Trump insisted on providing aid to Ukraine in the form of a loan, Bloomberg reports. “Why should you just give them the money? Give them credit," Trump said. Trump pushed his allies in Congress to freeze the proposal,… https://t.co/bAQrdhejHp
Trump repeated threat to NATO: “no money, no protection” Donald Trump reiterated that the United States will not defend NATO allies that do not spend 2 percent of GDP on defense. “I already said: look, if they don’t pay, we won’t protect, okay?” - said the US presidential… https://t.co/845ZkhAiQT
Former President Obama stood by President Biden’s commitment to the NATO alliance, days after former President Trump sparked concern around the globe by saying the US should not defend NATO allies who fall short of their defense spending targets. https://t.co/sveZRkWRsA https://t.co/eKC48fuX41
Trump’s @realDonaldTrump inviting Russia to attack our allies may break the NATO alliance and poses a grave danger to the United States. A bedrock of defense is deterrence, that is warning-off attack. Trump just signal that Russia can attack NATO with no consequences. https://t.co/p2SxG6zj1U
“I’ve been saying, ‘Look, if they’re not going to pay, we’re not going to protect, OK? And Biden, who said, ‘Oh, this is so bad. This is so terrible that he would say that.’ No.” — Donald Trump doubled down on his NATO comments at a South Carolina rally Wednesday night https://t.co/AkK0AamGdR
President Trump tells NATO to pay up. https://t.co/7dgNbnWFAV
Donald Trump promises to bring peace to Ukraine by tightening sanctions and diplomatic agreements https://t.co/fS3vgNUshn https://t.co/bAxHbkwN4W
Trump could force Ukraine to make peace – Bloomberg If elected, the ex-US president reportedly plans to leverage US military aid to Kiev to bring it to the negotiating table https://t.co/hsZpPe6wt7 https://t.co/XxRabqwj09
Trump has offered to lend aid to Ukraine while a vote on a big aid package is delayed - Bloomberg "They want to give them another $60 billion. Do it this way. Lend them the money. If they can, they'll pay us back. If not, they don't have to pay it back to us." https://t.co/j5BKFEMVrl
ICYMI: Trump eyes NATO makeover and a hurried peace in Ukraine, if reelected, via @JenniferJJacobs, @PeterMartin_PCM: https://t.co/lRP3b9KM13
Most NATO members to meet spending plan ahead of possible Trump victory - Financial Times "NATO expects about 2/3 of allies to meet the 2% target in 2024," an alliance spokesman told the newspaper. NATO spending has risen markedly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine,… https://t.co/GlFyuckjGx
Trump suggests Ukraine take loan for aid 🤔 "They want to give them $60 billion more. Do it this way. Loan them the money. If they can make it, they pay us back. If they can’t make it, they don’t have to pay us back," Trump said https://t.co/MCH3ylayeI
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg admitted that former President Donald Trump's criticism about member states not paying enough to support the strategic alliance is valid. Read more: https://t.co/ojm4Y3y6m2 https://t.co/3hX3ihVUU3
Trump Doubles Down on NATO Demand https://t.co/8ImCczIx8P via @politicalwire
Donald Trump and his advisors are contemplating a push to get Ukraine and Russia to return to the negotiating if he wins the election, says Bloomberg. They’re also discussing a two-tiered NATO, to punish members who don’t meet their spending targets. https://t.co/EdNnqA4afG
Peace in Ukraine is long overdue but a threat to the perpetual war coalition. Trump is considering a NATO makeover and a push for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia if he returns to power https://t.co/0b2rz2sCuE via @bpolitics
Donald Trump suggested he would do more to protect Ukraine from Russia, seeking to flip the script on President Biden, who has been calling for more military aid for months. https://t.co/9C1BNmxadV
🇺🇸‼️🚨 Donald, if he wins the presidential election, plans to force Ukraine into peace negotiations with Russia - Bloomberg Among possible moves for a second term, Trump allies have discussed an essentially two-tier NATO alliance in which Article 5, requiring the common defense… https://t.co/D2STA6u684
🔴 FRANCE TO HIT 2% NATO SPENDING TARGET IN 2024 - DEFENCE MINISTER.
Trump considers a push for Ukraine to negotiate an end to the war with Russia if he returns to power. A Trump adviser said the promise of severing US military aid could help get Ukraine to the negotiating table, while the threat of increased US assistance could prompt Russia. https://t.co/8klyMVZxGk
If Trump wins the presidential election, he plans to force Ukraine into peace talks with Russia. One of Trump's advisers said that the promise to stop military aid to Ukraine may help the country sit down at the negotiating table, Bloomberg writes. https://t.co/Eeb0jMoBqb
🚨🇺🇸 TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON NOT PROTECTING COUNTRIES THAT DO NOT PAY "The heads of the country stood up and said, does that mean that if we don't pay the bills that you're not going to protect us? I said that's exactly what it means. Exactly. I'm not going to protect." https://t.co/fqGOPV0bLz
Donald Trump stands by remarks about not defending NATO members after backlash https://t.co/22Kj96iJO9
Trump demands NATO 'pay their bills' because US is paying '$150 billion' more than their allies https://t.co/XtYBFCk6KQ https://t.co/7CrbmN7gRt
The U.S. relationship with NATO is back in the spotlight after comments from former President Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday prompted outcry. https://t.co/br2hAarb4P
Trump stands by remarks about not defending NATO members after backlash https://t.co/nINcJ1svMG
Trump reiterates to NATO allies: If you don’t pay up, ‘I'm not going to protect you’ https://t.co/7cTQXaPFzl
Donald Trump is considering scaled-back commitments to some NATO members and a push for Ukraine to negotiate an end to the war with Russia if he returns to power next year, according to @business https://t.co/5P2M1oXNth
Trump pushes giving Ukraine a loan instead of assistance as funding measure remains deadlocked in Congress https://t.co/yEZSxb2OMS
"We got our Allies to pay their fair share, and it brought in over 400 Billion dollars to NATO... If they're not gonna pay, we're not gonna protect." - President Trump. Watch President Trump’s Entire Speech: https://t.co/KE8CcN0uwY https://t.co/EnNcRRYmTF
Donald Trump often claims that he is the only person capable of preventing WW3, but he is also the only candidate saying he will encourage Russia to invade our NATO allies. https://t.co/COHw5Y8qvh
Trump on NATO: One of the heads of the countries said ‘does that mean if we don’t pay the bills, you won’t protect us?’ I said that’s exactly what that means. https://t.co/yVA8zr2uKH
Opinion: Trump has little clue about what NATO is or what NATO does https://t.co/VWHOpbz40S
Trump’s allies attempt to downplay remark that he would encourage Russia to invade “delinquent” NATO countries. Follow: @AFpost https://t.co/KdAXY6k9AA
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that its European members and Canada have ramped up defense spending to record levels, as he warned that former President Trump was undermining security by questioning the U.S. commitment to its allies https://t.co/XS8kcw9iOq
As NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels to discuss further military support for Ukraine, Trump’s recent threats against the alliance are expected to loom large. https://t.co/k1vYU4ansu
NATO chief admits Donald Trump's criticism is valid https://t.co/6ihivIsUYW https://t.co/XuNjxfE2oC
Trump is considering a NATO makeover and a push for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia if he returns to power https://t.co/1obAyDpPFj
Former US President Trump Eyes NATO Makeover, Hurried Peace In Ukraine If Elected
*TRUMP EYES NATO MAKEOVER, HURRIED PEACE IN UKRAINE IF ELECTED
Donald Trump Doubles Down on Demands for NATO Allies to 'Pay Their Bills' — Or Else! https://t.co/487JIXctzI Click the image for details:
After Trump's threats, Europe began to report an increase in defense spending NATO allies are increasing defense budgets amid concerns about former US President Donald Trump, Bloomberg reports. This year, a record 18 of NATO's 31 countries are expected to meet the alliance's… https://t.co/GRSQIhG8be
US under Trump will not be a reliable NATO ally - CNN Donald Trump has never liked NATO and now does not believe that the alliance serves American interests. If re-elected, he will base his policy on this. This opinion was expressed by former US representative to NATO Ivo… https://t.co/RQq2TXddQu
Donald Trump’s re-election could fatally erode America’s commitment to NATO’s treaty obligations. That would grant Vladimir Putin his dearest wish—the shredding of any practical meaning from Article 5 as far as America was concerned https://t.co/WYENwknYAQ 👇
My latest: Trump Does Not Understand or Value NATO and That’s Very Dangerous https://t.co/xtqkeRLyMl
Trump Again Doubles Down On NATO Comments, Calls Biden ‘Uninformable’ https://t.co/q9uq5f4h8F https://t.co/93tlOCpp2V
Donald Trump can't stop talking about NATO https://t.co/iI9YCIYsZ2 https://t.co/wB5oYtGCnc
Nato chief rebukes Donald Trump and announces record defence spending https://t.co/sK1STBR7Qo
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg touts record defense spending, push back on former President Trump's remarks https://t.co/jMF3bhdVVJ https://t.co/vsKwbUPOLw
Clearly responding to Trump's comment, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg released the alliance's spending figures today. They show "an unprecedented increase across European Allies and Canada." https://t.co/3OWikYKQkn https://t.co/CxXYra3WRx
#NATO says Europe has increased its spending on defense and Washington needs allies, days after former #US president Donald Trump suggested that the US might not protect countries that did not spend enough. https://t.co/rkEcmYfGOO