[ad_1]
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters that NATO “must not be an ‘a la carte’ military alliance, a military alliance that depends on the humor of the US president. ” he said. He spoke in Brussels in response to Donald Trump’s recent comments about NATO.
At a campaign rally in South Carolina on Saturday, Trump told the crowd that as president he had warned NATO allies that Russia would “encourage Russia to do whatever it wants to countries that don’t pay the price.” Ta. [their] invoice. ” His comments sent chills across Europe and alarmed NATO European members who were already excited about the prospect of Donald Trump’s second term as president.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement on Sunday: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines our overall security, including that of the United States, and puts American and European soldiers at further risk.” “It will be,” he responded with a statement.
NATO confronts President Trump’s threat
As president, Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from NATO. He warned that he would make Europeans pay a price for American protection, repeatedly questioned America’s commitment to the core of the alliance (enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty), and said, North America would be considered an attack against all of them. ”
Diplomats have criticized the fact that he is doing the same thing again on the campaign trail, which some in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) view as an attack on the “soul of the alliance.” called it “alarming.” After all, many allies are concerned that a possible second term in office will see a Trump more liberal and far bolder than his first.
“When Trump last took office, it was the biggest upheaval in Europe-US relations since the inception of the European Union,” said Alison Woodward, senior associate fellow at the European Institute in Brussels.
“It was a really dramatic change,” she added. “So I think leaders are now bracing themselves for what could happen if Donald Trump is re-elected.” During Trump’s first presidency, the U.S. closed its doors to trade with EU member states. The imposition of punitive tariffs significantly chilled transatlantic relations.
A critical time for NATO
President Trump’s recent comments come at a critical time for the alliance, with some allies publicly warning about Russia’s potential escalation of the war in Ukraine, and a new U.S. aid package for Kiev. is stalled in Congress, and Europe is struggling to ramp up weapons production. .
Michal Baranowski, managing director of the German Marshall Fund East, a U.S. think tank, said Trump’s comments “raise the possibility that NATO will be tested by Russia, especially if Donald Trump wins the election.” will increase, but probably not only at that time.”
“This comment made Europe less secure,” he told DW, adding that President Trump “made it clear in the minds of many leaders, including on the eastern side of NATO, that if the United States attacked any of its allies, “It raises questions about whether we will cooperate with all allies.” they. ”
Those concerns are echoed by diplomats in Brussels, who have privately said Trump’s comments are already damaging the alliance. The biggest problem seems to be that it is very difficult to rebuke his claims. President Trump’s berating of NATO allies for “not paying their bills” is a misleading statement by him. Because, strictly speaking, there are no bills to pay.
Are President Trump’s comments a wake-up call?
President Trump’s comments refer to the fact that a significant number of NATO countries still spend less than 2% of their GDP, a goal agreed upon at the 2014 NATO summit in Wales. This is the goal.
Germany is expected to reach the target this year for the first time since the end of the Cold War, thanks to a special 100 billion euro ($107 billion) fund created in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, further funding is not guaranteed.
That’s why diplomats and experts in Brussels agree that President Trump has a point when it comes to the urgent need for European countries to invest more in collective defense. ing. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kalas told reporters during a visit to Brussels: “I think the comments of the American presidential candidate are also a wake-up call for some of our allies who have not contributed much in the past.”
European contingency plan
Governments across the continent appear to understand that their European allies will need to do more to defend themselves, regardless of who the next U.S. president becomes. These efforts are at the heart of the contingency plans that European allies are working on behind the scenes, focusing on increased military capabilities and a more unified strategic approach.
But there is a long way to go, Professor Bart Kelemans of the Center for Global Governance Research in Leuven told DW. “The prospect of a second term in office for Mr. Trump provides a strong impetus for stronger European cooperation and integration on defense and security,” Kelemans said, adding that this is not just a problem for Donald Trump. He pointed out that there was no.
“If we want to reduce the chances of the US leaving NATO under Trump, we have to do something about burden sharing. And apart from Trump, if Europe wants to play a significant role in the world, We’re going to have to invest more in defense because the world is becoming less and less secure. ”
Editor: Maren Sass
[ad_2]
Source link
