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Criticizing Its Allies
WASHINGTON (EFE) .- President of the United States, Donald Trump, yesterday kicked off a European tour of nearly a week with a new wave of criticism from the US. NATO and optimistically on its first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for 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 repeats his usual criticisms to members of this organization, while he hoped on the outcome 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 is perhaps the easiest of all. "Who would have thought?" Trump told reporters shortly before boarding his Air Force One presidential plane bound for Brussels.
The president insisted that all NATO members should contribute at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to the common defense, in order to reduce the US financial burden.
"NATO has not treated us equitably, but I think we will solve it one way or another". ] "Many NATO countries, which we are supposed to defend, not only do not reach their current commitment of 2% (which is low), but are also failing and need several years of payments that have not been made, will it be refunded to the United States? ", he tweeted shortly before landing in the Belgian capital.
This is not the first time that Trump claims that NATO members are repaying the sums paid by the United States. common, although "it's not like that they're working" the contributions to the Alliance, recalled at a press conference yesterday James Goldgeier, expert in Europe at the Council Foreign Relations (CFR).
Brussels is also coming at a time of strong trade tensions by EU tariffs on steel and aluminum, and European Council President Donald Tusk wanted to defend yesterday to the block advising Trump who "appreciates" his allies, because "After all, he does not have many."
Trump responded shortly after the United States had "many allies", but these "can not profit" from Washington with the imbalance of the trade balance. The US military at least 70% to NATO.
"The European Union makes it impossible for our farmers, our workers and our companies to do business in Europe (…), and they want us to defend them fortunately by NATO. For that, he wrote in another tweet in Brussels
Trump's statements contrast with those made last week by the US ambassador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison, who made the announcement. praised at a press conference that "Each of the allies" is increasing its defense spending and this has generated "the biggest increase since the Cold War."
Contrary to its first summit of the year. NATO, the Trump now arriving in Brussels has already repeatedly reaffirmed its compliance with Article 5 of the Charter, which establishes a mutual defense against any attack on an allied country, but also shows itself to be more effective. in his nationalist discourse and his Criticism of countries like Germany
on Thursday in the UK, which is mired in a deep political crisis because of British Prime Minister Theresa May's plans for a mild "brexit".
Trump, who has been positioned several times In favor of "brexit", he recalled yesterday that he was friends with one of the resigning ministers, the former Boris Johnson , and that he "could talk to him" in London, but he also avoided criticizing Theresa May. 19659003] "I have a very good relationship with Theresa May," Trump said, adding that the question of whether he should stay in power "depends on the British people."
On her first visit to the UK Trump will meet Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth II before spending the weekend in Scotland.
At their summit with Putin on Monday in Helsinki, they should talk about Syria, Ukraine, arms control and the alleged interference of Russia in the 2016 US elections, a topic on which Trump has been shown to be skeptical and motivates in the United States a federal inquiry into the links between his environment and Moscow
. in case Pu Tin is a friend or an enemy, Trump responded 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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