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Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that the United States might not defend NATO allies failing to meet defense spending commitments align perfectly with what Russian President Vladimir Putin would want to hear, stated the Dutch defense minister on Monday.
Trump indicated that the U.S. could potentially withhold protection from NATO member nations that do not allocate sufficient funds toward their defense against possible Russian aggression.
“Quite frankly, I think this is exactly what Putin loves to hear,” said Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. “Our strength is our unity. And if we’re not united, it makes us weaker. And we know that is what Putin is looking for.”
The principle of collective defense, outlined in Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, asserts that an attack against one member is treated as an attack against all.
“This is not the first time he has made such statements. However, it is certainly concerning,” Ollongren remarked.
She emphasized the gravity of the situation, especially considering the real threats facing NATO countries today, describing it as very troubling for someone of Trump’s significance to voice such opinions.
Additionally, Ollongren highlighted that the majority of NATO allies are close to or have achieved the target defense spending benchmark of 2% of their gross domestic product.
