Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato chief, has said any attack on the western military alliance would be met with a “united and forceful response”, after Donald Trump invited Russia to attack member countries he perceived as not meeting their financial obligations. Stoltenberg said in a statement: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.” He added that he expected the US to remain a strong and committed Nato ally regardless of who wins the presidential election.
Trump made the remarks at a campaign rally in South Carolina on Saturday night, claiming that during an unspecified Nato meeting he had told a fellow head of state that the US under his leadership would not defend “delinquent” countries. “No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills,” Trump said.
The White House described the remarks as “appalling and unhinged”. The Polish defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, wrote on X: “Nato’s motto ‘one for all, all for one’ is a concrete commitment. Undermining the credibility of allied countries means weakening the entire Nato.” Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said such “reckless statements” only served the interests of Vladimir Putin and emphasised the need for the EU to develop its strategic autonomy.
The EU internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton, told French television that Trump’s account of the meeting with Nato leaders was incorrect. “There’s maybe a little problem with his memory – it was actually a female president, not of a country but of the European Union,” Breton said, referring to Ursula von der Leyen and a conversation with Trump in 2020.
Peter Ricketts, a former UK permanent representative to Nato, noted that Trump seems to view Nato as a “country club” where you pay for defence services. The Czech foreign minister, Jan Lipavský, affirmed that Nato is currently in its strongest position ever, with European allies increasing defence budgets and acquiring new capabilities.
