Donald Trump has said he would “encourage” Vladimir Putin to attack Nato members who fail to cough up enough cash in defence spending.
Speaking at a rally in South Carolina yesterday, the 77-year-old claimed he once told a leader he would not protect a nation behind on its payments.
Nato members are obliged to defend any nation in the bloc which is attacked.
There is growing speculation about the need for Nato members to intervene amid concern Vladimir Putin could turn his attention to the Baltic nations.
Donald Trump suggested he would encourage Vladimir Putin
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However, Trump recounted an exchange he had with an unnamed leader from a Nato nation.
He said: “’You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’...‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’
“No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay.”
The White House labelled Trump’s remarks “appalling and unhinged”.
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Joe Biden at the Nato summit
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Spokesperson Andrew Bates added: “Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged – and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.”
Nato members agreed to move towards defending spending at two per cent of GDP by 2024 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
However, only seven countries - US, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the UK - all achieved the two per cent standard.
Trump was a fierce critic of Nato during his term as US President.
Donald Trump is likely to come up against Joe Biden on November 5REUTERSHe threatened to pull Washington out of the bloc on multiple occasions.
Trump is continuing with his isolationist foreign policy agenda by complaining about US foreign aid.
He wrote on social media: “From this point forward...no money in the form of foreign aid should be given to any country unless it is done as a loan, not just a giveaway.”
Despite concern about Trump’s comments, a recent opinion poll conducted by NBC News suggested the 45th President is perceived as more capable than Joe Biden at improving America’s standing in the world.
Trump opened up an 11-point lead over his White House successor.