Trump begins his European tour between NATO criticism and the EU



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(EFE) – The President of the United States, Donald Trump, began Tuesday a European tour of nearly a week with a new wave of criticism from NATO and the Union. European Union (EU) summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin planned next Monday in Helsinki

One day before meeting in Brussels with the heads of state and government of NATO at the summit of the Atlantic Alliance, Trump did not hesitate to repeat his usual criticisms to the members of this organization, while he hoped on the results of his meeting with Putin.

"I have (on this trip) to (Summit of) NATO, I have the United Kingdom, which is with some commotion, and I have Putin, Frankly, Putin could be the easiest of all, who would have thought? "Trump told reporters shortly before boarding his presidential plane, Air Force One, bound for Brussels

" J & # 39; (on this trip) the (cumbr e) of NATO, I have the United Kingdom, which is in a certain turmoil, and I have Putin .. Frankly, Putin is maybe to be the easiest of all Who would have thought? "

The President insisted that all NATO members contribute at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to common defense, in order to reduce the financial burden of the United States.

"NATO has not treated us equitably, but I think we will solve it in one way or another," he told reporters

"to their current commitment of 2% (which is low), but they are also delinquent and owe several years in the payments that have not been made.Are they going to repay it in the United States?" president tweeted shortly before arriving in the Belgian capital

Many NATO countries, which should be defending, are not only running out of their current commitment of 2% (which is low) but they are also delinquent for many years where they have not been made Will they repay the United States?

– Donald J. Trump (@ realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2018

This is not the first time Trump asks that NATO members "repay" the payments that the United States have done for the common defense, even though "this is not how the contributions to the Alliance work". press conference James Goldgeier, European expert at the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR).

Trump 's visit to Brussels also comes at a time of major trade tensions due to EU – imposed steel and aluminum tariffs and the European Council' s President, Donald. Tusk, wanted to defend blocking by advising Trump to "appreciate" his allies because "after all, he does not have many."

Trump responded shortly after the United States had "a lot of allies", but they "can not take advantage" of Washington. With the imbalance of the trade balance and the US contribution of at least 70% to NATO

"The European Union makes it impossible for our farmers, our workers and our companies to doing business in Europe (…) and then they want us to happily defend them across NATO and pay for it, that just does not work! ", he writes in another tweet in Brussels

Donald Tusk, wanted to defend the bloc by advising Trump to "appreciate" his allies because "after all he does not have many" [19659005Trump'sdeclarationscontrastwiththelastmethodonthetheUSambbadadortoNATOKayBaileyHutchisonwhichwasdeliveringAreferencetothefactthat"eachoftheallies"hasincreasedspendingondefense"Largerincreasesincethecoldwar"

In contrast to its first NATO summit, the Trump now arriving in Brussels they have already repeatedly reaffirmed their respect for Article 5 of the Charter, which establishes a mutual defense against an attack against any ally, but is also more comfortable in his nationalist speech and his criticism of countries like Germany.

From Brussels, Trump will travel to the UK on Thursday, which is mired in a deep political crisis is British Prime Minister Theresa May, for a mild Brexit .

Trump, who has positioned himself several times in favor of brexit recalled yesterday that he is friends with one of the ministers who resigned, former foreigner Boris Johnson , and who "can talk to him" while he was in London, but also avoided criticizing May.

On his first visit to the United Kingdom, where he should be received with protests, Trump will meet May and with Queen Elizabeth II, before spending the weekend in Scotland

"I have a very good relationship "with May, said Trump, adding that the question of whether to stay in power" depends on the British people ".

On his first visit to the United Kingdom, where he is expected to face protests, Trump will meet May and Queen Elizabeth II before spending the weekend in Scotland

At his summit with Putin on Monday at Helsinki, it is expected that talks about Syria, Ukraine, arms control and the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US elections, a topic on which Trump has shown himself skeptical and opposes the United States to a federal inquiry into the links between his environment and Moscow

Asked today whether Putin is a friend or an enemy, Trump replied that he is rather " a competitor "and reiterated that" to hear with Russia, with China and with others is a good thing, not a bad thing ". ___________________________________________________________________________

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