Military spending: Trump claims to have Allied folded

Military Spending : Trump claims to have bent the Allies
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AFP
/ LUDOVIC MARIN

Donald Trump said Thursday he obtained the commitment of the Allies of the United States to accelerate the pace to increase their military spending. At the end of a NATO summit under tension in Brussels, he declared himself "very happy" with the results.

"They agreed to pay and pay more quickly", welcomed the US President at an unplanned press conference before leaving Brussels for London

"Since Mr. Trump's election, fresh money has arrived: an additional $ 41 billion for Allied military spending This is substantial, we need substantial new increases, "NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.

Commitment in 2014 to devote 2% of their GDP to defense spending for 2024 remains written in white in the joint declaration approved Wednesday by the leaders of the 29 member countries of the Alliance.

But fifteen countries, including Germany, Canada, Italy, Spain and Belgium are still very far from the objective f, with less than 1.4% of their GDP for Defense in 2018, and some say they are unable to meet their word in 2024 by citing their budget constraints. What made the White House tenant ulcerate

Donald Trump arrived in Brussels Tuesday night to force his hand. He has repeatedly put pressure on the top of the press with messages on his Twitter account and unkind statements to bad payers.

Privileged target of his retribution: Germany, which was accused of spending billions on gas and oil purchases from Russia instead of contributing to defense spending. Germany has planned to devote 1.5% of its GDP to military spending in 2025.

"I believe in NATO"

M. Trump renewed his demands on Thursday, on the second day of the summit, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was forced to convene an emergency meeting to defuse a major crisis.

"Je m ' was waiting for a frank discussion and that's what happened yesterday and today.The Allies realized that President Trump was very serious about the issue of spending, "acknowledged the NATO chief. [19659003TheUSpresidentclaimedavictory"TheAlliescouldbeworriedbecauseyesterdayIwasextremelydissatisfiedwithwhatwasgoingonandtheyhaveconsiderablyincreasedtheircommitmentsandnowweareveryhappytohaveaverypowerfulverystrongmuchstrongerNATOtwodaysago"hecongratulatedhimself

" I could have used the threat (of leaving NATO) but it was not necessary, "he said in response to a question in this sense

"I have achieved extraordinary progress in comparison with my predecessors," he said. "Germany has agreed to accelerate the tempo to increase its military spending," said Donald Trump.

But Chancellor Angela Merkel merely recalled that "the Germans know they" must do more and we have been doing it for some time. "She simply confirmed the goal of 1.5% of German GDP in 2025.

The heads of the Italian and Spanish governments, Giuseppe Conte and Pedro Sanchez, promised that their countries would respect the commitments made by their predecessors, but excluding increasing contributions.

After the threats, the appeasement: "I believe in NATO. NATO is stronger than it was two years ago, "the US president said after the summit.

A sentiment shared by his French counterpart:" NATO is coming out stronger "from its summit, added Emmanuel Macron.

France will respect its commitments to achieve devote 2% of its GDP to its military expenditure. "We will be there in 2025", one after the deadline, the Minister of Armed Forces reaffirmed Thursday Florence Parly

"We are fully in line with what was recorded in the final declaration adopted consensually on Wednesday," she said.

Putin in Helsinki

The President American arrived Thursday afternoon in the UK for an official visit, during which he will meet Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Theresa May.

He will then travel to Helsinki for a historic bilateral summit with the President Russian Vladimir Putin on Monday

The final declaration of the NATO summit is a true indictment against the foreign policy of Vladimir Putin

Jens Stoltenberg warned that "any interference" in the process of accession with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia would be "unacceptable" for NATO

Vladimir Putin "is not my enemy (…) In the end, he is a competitor, he represents Russia, I represent the United States ", said Donald Trump.

12/07/2018 19:26:10 –
Brussels (AFP) –
© 2018 AFP