Trump sparks controversy with NATO comments

Former President Donald Trump raised eyebrows during a campaign rally on Saturday when he said he told an unidentified foreign leader he would allow Russia to do “whatever…they want” to NATO members not spending enough on their own defense, adding that he “would not protect” them.

How much is enough? In 2006, NATO members agreed to work toward spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product on national defense. At the time, NATO spokesman James Appathurai stated, “Let me be clear, this is not a hard commitment that they will do it. But it is a commitment to work towards it.” According to data released by NATO in July, only 11 of the 31 member nations had met that goal. Member nations that did not meet that target included Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, France, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Turkey, Spain, and Luxembourg.

How did NATO leadership respond to Trump’s comments? NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement Sunday reiterating NATO’s commitment to defend any member nation that is attacked, adding that “any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.” Trump’s comments also drew ire from European leaders, the White House, and some Republicans, including U.S. presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who warned the former president not to take the side of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom she referred to as a “thug.”

Dig deeper: Read Johanna Huebscher’s report in The Sift about a meeting between European leaders in response to Trump’s comments.