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Trump attended NATO meetings Thursday
He delivered the remarks in front NATO members
(CNN) —
President Donald Trump on Thursday chided NATO member countries directly for not meeting their financial commitments to the alliance and declined to reiterate US commitment to the alliance’s mutual defense pledge.
“Members of the alliance must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations,” Trump told the heads of state, who stood silently – some shifting uncomfortably – behind him.
“Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying for their defense. This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States,” he said.
The call appeared to reveal Trump’s continued misunderstanding of NATO members’ defense commitments. While Trump argued that many of the allies “owe massive amounts of money from past years,” the 2% defense spending benchmark that allies must meet is designed to boost their military, not to funnel money to NATO or other allies.
Trump’s remarks – paired with his conspicuous decision not to reiterate US commitment to NATO’s mutual defense provision, Article 5 – are likely to unsettle allies who had hoped to hear Trump assuage their concerns about his commitment to the historic alliance.
Moreover, the President’s scolding was cast against a striking backdrop: the freshly unveiled 9/11 memorial, which marks the only time the NATO alliance has invoked Article 5. That decision triggered NATO’s participation in the war in Afghanistan.
Remarking on the official opening of NATO’s $1 billion new headquarters, Trump offered a tongue-in-cheek comment that he “never asked once what the new NATO headquarters cost.”
Trump first cast doubt on the provision during his presidential campaign, shocking members of the alliance when he suggested the US might only defend members of the alliance who “fulfill their obligations to us.”
Trump only addressed the Article 5 commitment in passing at the top of his remarks, noting that “our NATO allies responded swiftly and decisively, invoking for the first time in its history the Article 5 collective defense commitments.”
02:03 - Source: CNN
Explaining NATO funding challenges
He did not promise the US would do the same should a NATO ally come under attack.
Instead, Trump badgered heads of state of the alliance that an increased financial commitment was needed.
Under the NATO treaty, members of the alliance must commit 2% of their GDP to defense spending, a benchmark that only five of the alliance’s 28 members currently meet.
“Two percent is the bare minimum for confronting today’s very real and very vicious threats,” Trump said. “If NATO countries made their full and complete contributions, then NATO would be even stronger than it is today, especially from the threat of terrorism.”
Briefing reporters Wednesday on Air Force One, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said “of course we support Article 5,” but declined to say whether Trump would reiterate the US’ adherence to the mutual defense pledge in his NATO remarks.
In recent months, Trump has sought to assuage some NATO ally concerns, declaring last month in a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg the alliance is “no longer obsolete” as he had claimed on the campaign trail.
The President also reiterated his call for stricter controls on immigration and the flow of refugees, saying “the NATO of the future must include a great focus on terrorism and immigration.”
“You have thousands and thousands of people pouring into our various countries and spreading throughout. And in many cases, we have no idea who they are,” Trump said. “We must be tough. We must be strong. And we must be vigilant.”
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One on Saturday, May, 27, 2017, at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy. They were headed back to the United States after a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe.
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President Trump greets people on May 27, after speaking to US troops at Naval Air Station Sigonella.
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President Trump addresses US troops and their families on May 27, at the Sigonella Naval Air Station.
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President Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive on May 27, to address US military personnel and families at Naval Air Station Sigonella.
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Leaders of the G-7 and some African nations pose for a photo on May 27, on the second day of the G-7 summit in Taormina, Italy.
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President Trump gestures on May 27, during a G-7 session.
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President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, arrive for a concert of the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra while in Taormina, Italy, on Friday, May 26. The Trumps are in Italy for a two-day G-7 summit.
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Trump and other leaders pose for a group photo at the G-7 summit on May 26. From left are European Council President Donald Tusk, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
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Trump and Trudeau walk together after the group photo.
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G-7 leaders congregate during a walking tour on May 26.
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Trump embraces new French President Emmanuel Macron on May 26.
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The leaders watch a French air squadron.
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Melania Trump arrives at the City Hall in Catania, Italy, on May 26. She was wearing a $51,500 Dolce & Gabbana jacket as she met with other spouses of G-7 leaders.
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Trump shakes hands with Macron in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday, May 25. They were attending a NATO summit as the alliance officially opened a new $1 billion headquarters.
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Trump stands with other world leaders during a NATO photo shoot on May 25.
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Trump speaks with British Prime Minister Theresa May during a working dinner at NATO headquarters.
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Trump stands next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the NATO summit.
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Melania Trump visits the Magritte Museum in Brussels with Amelie Derbaudrenghien, partner of Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel.
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A girl takes a selfie with Melania Trump at a children's hospital in Brussels on May 25.
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Trump meets with Macron in Brussels.
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Trump walks with European Council President Donald Tusk, center, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, right, after they met at the European Council in Brussels on May 25.
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Trump, third from right, attends a meeting with leaders at the European Council.
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Trump speaks with King Philippe of Belgium as Queen Mathilde and Melania Trump chat during a reception at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Wednesday, May 24.
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Tusk talks to Trump as he welcomes him in Brussels.
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Trump stands with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel while the national anthem is played during Trump's arrival in Belgium on May 24.
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Protesters in Brussels demonstrate with effigies of Trump and Michel on May 24.