Stoltenberg Calls Donald Trump's Comments On NATO Dangerous To The American And European Army

Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg. (Source: NATO)

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg said the comments of former US President Donald Trump endangered the military of the military military alliance.

Trump, who will run for the US Presidential Election next November, said Russia could do anything to the alliance's member states, ignoring collective defense clauses, would not offer US protection if the country did not fulfill its financial obligations.

In a Sunday statement, Stoltenberg said such comments put European and American troops at higher risk.

"Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other will weaken all of our security, including the US, increasing the risk to the American and European army," Stoltenberg said.

"I estimate whoever wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed NATO ally," he said, stressing any attacks on NATO countries would be "responded with a united and strong response."

Previously, during his tenure as US President, Trump repeatedly denounced the inequality of spending in NATO and accused some countries of not fulfilling their obligations. He also criticized the American defense pact with its allies in Asia, Japan, and South Korea.

Trump's latest comments came last Saturday, claiming "one president of a large country" once asked him whether the US would continue to defend its country if they were attacked by Russia even though they "do not pay" the alliance's financial obligations.

"No, I will not protect you," Trump said recalling his remarks to the president.

"Actually, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever they want. You have to pay. You have to pay your bills," he continued.

Saturday's White House criticized Trump's comments as "terrible and irreversible", comparing them with President Joe Biden's efforts to strengthen the American alliance for his national security.

First formed to provide collective security for European and North American countries against the Soviet Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization now includes 31 countries in the wider region.

Included in Article 5 of the agreement, the collective defense promise, that an attack on a member state is an attack on all countries that are members of the alliance.

Trump has for years inaccurately described how the block funding works. NATO is known to have a target of each member country spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.

Most countries do not meet these targets. But these figures are guidelines and are not binding contracts. NATO member states have never failed to pay their share of NATO's joint budget to run the organization. In 2022, seven countries met a 2 percent target, up from three countries in 2014, with European and Canadian allies increasing spending for eight consecutive years, according to NATO.