In his bid for a second presidency and as the presumed 2024 White House nominee for the Republicans, Donald Trump has stirred controversy by expressing his willingness to "encourage" Russia to attack NATO allies he deems financially irresponsible.
These remarks, made during a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, ahead of the state's Republican presidential preference primary on February 24, have been labeled "appalling and unhinged" by the White House.
Trump's statement reflects his longstanding reservations about providing aid to Ukraine in the face of Russia's 2022 invasion and his skepticism towards NATO, the 31-nation alliance committed to mutual defense. He recounted a past NATO meeting where he allegedly conveyed that, under his leadership, the U.S. would not defend countries failing to meet their financial commitments.
During the rally, Trump asserted, "You didn't pay, you're delinquent? No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You've got to pay. You've got to pay your bills."
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates responded to Trump's comments, stating that "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 countries had agreed in 2014 to increase defense spending to 2% of their GDPs by 2024, following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. Trump, during his 2016 campaign, had raised concerns by suggesting the U.S. might reconsider its NATO commitments.
As of 2022, seven out of 31 NATO member countries were meeting the 2% target. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 prompted additional military spending by some NATO members.
Trump's remarks have garnered criticism, with political pundits expressing concern over the apparent encouragement of Russian aggression towards NATO allies. Meanwhile, as Ukraine grapples with the aftermath of the invasion, Republicans in Congress have grown more skeptical about providing additional aid to the country.
In addition to his foreign policy statements, Trump celebrated the recent collapse of congressional legislation addressing the U.S.-Mexico border migration crisis, promising a "massive deportation operation" if re-elected.
Despite performing well in polls against incumbent Joe Biden, Trump faces more than 90 criminal charges spread across various indictments, alleging attempts to subvert the election, illegal retention of government secrets, and hush-money payments to a porn actor claiming a sexual encounter with Trump.