Donald Trump's Representation of NATO in Crisis Contains Risks for the Alliance



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By: Reuters | Brussels |

Posted: July 15, 2018 1:46:43 pm





  Donald Trump's Representation of NATO in Crisis Contains Risks for the Alliance US President Donald Trump arrives a press conference after attending the NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on July 12, 2018. REUTERS / Reinhard Krause

Donald Trump's portrayal of NATO as an alliance in crisis has raised concerns that stubborn criticism from the US president could erode US public support. According to diplomats, the Allies came out confused and shaken from a two-day NATO summit during which Trump was haranguing them about the underutilization of the defense, accusing Germany of To be captive of the Russian energy and emergency meeting of leaders trying to contain the fallout of the unexpected tirade during a session.

NATO diplomats complained that the trump trump drama These comments had overshadowed the major decisions made by allies in the areas of defense spending and new weapons and strategies for s & # s Attacking Russia's efforts to destabilize the West through cyber and secret attacks

. "It's kind of a crisis and the reality that it's been one of the most important summits for years," said a diplomatic source from NATO. to Reuters

. The military alliance of 29 members "was not doing what they were supposed to do" until he arrived in Brussels and that he was "extremely unhappy" until his intervention .

Then he claimed "total credit" for the increase in defense spending, Although they were agreed in 2014, they warned that "NATO is helping Europe more than it helps us ", in a language that did not defend unity.

mmit also agreed on a new training mission for Iraq, an invitation to the accession of the Balkan state of Macedonia to NATO and more funding for troops in Afghanistan.

Trump passed the summit declaration in 79 points. "At the end of the summit, I left the impression that there were serious problems in NATO, according to diplomats." NATO may need its friends in the US Congress and in the Republican and Democratic parties are more vocal in preventing the image of the alliance from being permanently damaged in the United States.

The US Senate overwhelmingly approved a motion of support for NATO on the eve of this week's summit. The state John Kerry has claimed more.

"Enough," the Democrat said of Trump's style at the top. "This is not good for the United States and there are people on the other side – as the Senate vote clearly showed yesterday – who know it and need to know it. say it, "said Kerry on Twitter

The summit's decisions, endorsed by the 29 allied governments, receive little public support and support. the underlying unit is undermined by Trump's claims that he would have secured new commitments in defense spending. He reiterated this claim in Britain on Friday.

"The concern is that it's not just the noise to ignore, because perception is reality and this president can be with us for another six years." NATO, founded in 1949 to contain a military threat from the Soviet Union, relies on the military superiority of the United States to deal with a host of threats on the borders of Europe, including a resurgence, Nuclear War and Militant Attacks

A commitment to self-defense is the basis of the alliance and any suggestion that the United States would not come to the aid of Europe because, as Trump suggested, they must "massive" sums, "President Trump has not taken damaging measures against NATO, but his remarks are damaging," said Adam Thomson, former British ambassador to NATO and today director of the think tank European Leadership Network. After blasting NATO for failing to meet a target of 2% of national defense revenue, Trump told his counterparts in Brussels that he would prefer a target of 4%, similar to that of the United States. United States.

He also said that he was expecting an easier meeting with Russian President Vladimir on Monday in Helsinki, in remarks that contradict the accusations of the West that Moscow is seeking to undermine European democracies. [1] 9659006] More summits?

One option proposed by diplomats is to completely abandon regular NATO summits and return to the 1980s, when such leadership gatherings were less frequent. The decision was taken by the defense and the foreign ministers.

But Thomson said that it was not realistic. "You can not ignore Trump, he'll find a way to be heard."

Some European officials are convinced that NATO should be more confident in recalling Trump's false statements about the alliance.

The United States pays 90% of European security and NATO is incorrect, according to NATO data.

While US military spending accounts for 70 percent of combined military budgets of allied governments, only 15 percent of US spending is spent in Europe.

Washington pays about 22% of NATO's operating costs, including headquarters and equipment funded by mutual funds such as AWACS surveillance aircraft.

Trump also claimed Germany and other states in the United States and NATO. but allied contributions are voluntary and there are several budgets.

At 3.5%, US annual defense spending is below the level of 4% of GDP that Trump said, igures show

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