Former U.S. President Donald Trump has toned down his comments about NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
According to U.S. political media outlet Politico and others, former President Trump stated on the 19th (local time) that he has no intention of withdrawing from NATO if member countries pay their fair share of defense costs. This comes after he sparked controversy last month by suggesting that the U.S. could potentially pull back from NATO and “encourage an invasion of Russia.”
“I still believe that all member countries must pay their fair share,” said former President Trump. “The U.S. is paying the majority of NATO expenses. I question why we have to protect wealthy countries. If they pay their share of the contributions, there is no problem. If that happens, the U.S. will remain in NATO,” he added.
NATO member countries agreed back in 2006 to increase their defense spending to 2% of their GDP. However, NATO has revealed that only about two-thirds of the countries have fulfilled this commitment.
Politico pointed out, “Former President Trump spent most of his four-year term urging European NATO member countries to increase their defense spending. Although he threatened to withdraw from NATO then, the withdrawal did not occur.”
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