Trump's difficult crossing with European leadership at the start of a controversial tour – 07/10/2018

True to his confrontational style, US President Donald Trump waved his tour of Europe with a new fight. In this case, with his closest partners, the members of the European Union and NATO, which he accused of not spending enough in defense, were prejudicial to the United States.

The American president meets the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, who with irony recommended him "to appreciate the allies", because "he does not have many". Trump, in a derogatory manner, responded that it would be easier for him to dialogue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, with whom he will meet next Monday, that with the Europeans.

On the way to the summit of the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO), which will take place today in Brussels tomorrow, Trump raised the dispute with an uncomfortable sentence on Twitter: "Prepare departure for Europe, first meeting, NATO, the United States spends much more than any other country to protect them.This is not fair to US taxpayers. "

Quickly responds to Tusk, who rejected Trump's statement and said that "Europeans today spend a lot more in defense of what Russia and the same as China. "" Dear United States, enjoy your allies, after all, you do not have many, and dear Europe, spend more on defense because everyone expects a good ally. prepared and equipped, "he said, concluding:" L & # 39; Money is important, but true solidarity should be more. "

NATO, which requires them to allocate 2% of their GDP to defense spending, and it is expected that this year only eight bloc allies will achieve this goal. States, Estonia, Greece, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.

According to Tusk, at the NATO Summit Trump should remember that the partners Europeans were on the side of the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. "It is always good to know who is a strategic friend and who is a strategic problem," he said European representative

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also intervened to reply, saying that the increase in defense spending by European and Canadian allies should not be "to please the United States but to ensure security and defense against growing threats. " "They increase their defense spending for their own safety."

Trump was quick to respond, and he did it on Twitter: "NATO countries have to pay more, the United States has to pay less. he said. And he continued: "We have a lot of allies, but we can not take advantage of it.The European Union benefits from us."

Then, at a meeting with reporters, the US president quoted his Russian counterpart. "I have NATO, I have the UK in a moment of turmoil and I have Putin." Frankly, Putin could be the simplest part. ? ", He irides.

Trump refers to the two frictions for defense spending and the government crisis in which the UK was immersed after the resignation of two ministers in the last hours.

As part of this confrontation with Europeans, who are already outraged with Washington for imposing heavy taxes on them. Trump even dared to enter the interior Brexit

. In this regard, the US president praised former British Chancellor Boris Johnson, who submitted his resignation Monday for disputes with Prime Minister Theresa May. "He's my friend, he's been very, very good to me, I love Boris Johnson, I've always loved him," said Trump, ignoring the irritation that his comment might cause in the British authorities.

The NATO summit is the first season of a tough European tour of the real estate mogul. . Between 12 and 15 he will visit the United Kingdom, where one does not expect either a good home. And on Monday, he will travel to Helsinki, where he will meet Putin. This meeting is controversial for the European Union, which sees Russia as a growing threat to the bloc.