Trump calls for increased military spending for NATO members – Europe – International



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The historical relationship between Europe and the United States lives its lowest hours in the heat of Donald Trump's swear words.

The US president on Wednesday launched an Ottoman summit in Brussels attacking Germany's Angela Merkel and closed the meeting by calling "delinquents" (according to sources at the White House) to European governments who spent less on defense

Trump's day in Brussels was a pure hurricane with no respect for diplomatic forms.

The US President began the day with the breakfast of the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg.

Faced with the poker face of his host, Trump said that "Germany is a captive of Russia because it receives much of its energy from Russia. billions to Russia and we must defend it from Russia. Germany is totally controlled by Russia because it would receive between 60 and 70% of energy thanks to the new gas pipeline "

Angela Merkel responded two hours later without getting into the controversy completely. The German, who was born and raised in the former East Germany controlled by the Soviet Union, said that "Germany makes its own decisions and reminded Trump that Berlin reacted instantly when EE. UU he was attacked on September 9, 2001 and since then German troops have been helping Americans in places like Afghanistan.

Trump and Merkel met alone in the middle of the afternoon to check, according to German diplomatic sources disagreements The meeting, according to the same sources, was "frank". A euphemism in diplomatic circles to sum up that it was a quarrel.

After several bilateral meetings and a plenary, the leaders went to the center of Brussels at the end of this edition, when Trump reloads, this Time on Twitter: "What is the usefulness of this? Ottum if Germany pays Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy Why only five out of 29 countries fulfill their commitments? The United States pays for the protection of the country 39, Europe, then lose billions in trade.They must pay 2% of GDP immediately, not in 2025. "

The NATO countries pledged in 2014 to devote at least 2 % of their GDP to the defense at the latest in 2024 . At the end of this year only seven, in addition to EE. UU., Reaching the goal: Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the United Kingdom and Romania.

Countries like Germany, Italy or Spain spend about 1% of their GDP. to increase it gradually, they will not reach 2% in 2024. Spain said yesterday that she had no intention of spending on defense.

  Otán

The President of the United States and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the summit of Otán.

Trump asks in public that the Europeans almost double their military spending, but privately, as confirmed by the Bulgarian President, they would have actually demanded that they raise it up to the end. at 4%. In his breakfast with Stoltenberg, according to the White House, he even declared: "They are criminals in my case because the United States. UU he had to pay for them. "

The oval office tenant seems to be aiming for the European trade surplus with EE., Which is about $ 150 billion a year." And that's about defense spending from one country to another. a way that fears the Europeans blackmail: if they want the United States to remain the great partner of NATO and keep its troops and military bases in Europe as a tool of contention against Russia, you must eliminate this trade surplus.

US diplomacy has already signed the draft conclusions of the summit, which will end tomorrow, Thursday.It includes a new mission of military training in Iraq, the creation of joint brigades of reaction fast for 2020 and "takes note" of the increase in military spending of allies.

European governments do not rule out that Trump is disarmed at the last minute – already back to Air Force One – agreements of this summit as he did after the last meeting of the G7, during which he ended up insulting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

The most pessimistic fear drama scenarios: that Trump recognize the Russian annexation from the Ukrainian province of Crimea, withdraw his troops from Europe or even threaten to expel the United States. UU of NATO, something that could not be done without the support of two-thirds of the US Congress, but that would break the confidence of its allies and leave the Atlantic Alliance, the umbrella of the European security since the 1950s, seriously injured. ] Visit to UK, overshadowed by protests

Thousands of police officers will be deployed to London on the occasion of the US President's visit. UU., Donald Trump, for whom mass demonstrations are expected.

More than 50,000 people have signed up to participate in a protest in the British capital tomorrow, although another counter-demonstration is also planned.

The reception of Trump will not be exactly warm for a part of the British population When the president of EE. UU was invited last year, about two million people signed a petition against it because they claimed that it could embarrass Queen Elizabeth II.

As confirmed by Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the ruler, Trump and Monarch will attend a military parade before tea together tomorrow at Windsor Castle, south of London. The palace said the queen will receive Trump and his wife, Melania, at the royal residence in Berkshire County.

Idafe Martín Pérez *
FOR THE TIME
Brussels
* According to information from Reuters and EFE

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