No US support for NATO states that spend too little on defense?
Former US President Trump has now provoked people in the election campaign.
There are clear reactions from Germany.
Berlin/Nicosia - Statements by US presidential candidate Donald Trump about support in NATO are met with sharp criticism in Germany.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said during a visit to Cyprus in the capital Nicosia: "These statements are irresponsible and even play into Russia's hands." Nobody in the alliance could have an interest in this.
Several foreign policy experts expressed alarm.
The federal government made it clear that it is continuing to build on a functioning alliance.
Deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said in Berlin that Trump's statements had "of course been noted".
At the same time, she emphasized: “In its security and defense policy, the Federal Government clearly relies on the transatlantic alliance and the transatlantic community of values and sees its security guaranteed in NATO.”
Former US President Trump said at a campaign event in the state of South Carolina that the "president of a great country" had once asked him whether the US would protect the country from Russia if it did not pay for defense spending.
He replied: “No, I wouldn’t protect you.” In fact, he would “even encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want.”
It was unclear whether there had ever been such a conversation between Trump and a head of state, because the Republican also said: "Let's assume that happened." Trump wants to run for the Republicans again in the US presidential election in November.
Steinmeier said in a press conference with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulidis that there was an election campaign in the USA: “Some things are provocative.
But even if it is provocative, that doesn't mean we shouldn't take it seriously." At the same time, he appealed to Europeans not to act as if the election in the USA had already been decided.
During his term in office, Trump repeatedly accused Germany of spending too little money on defense.
“Unpredictable, unscrupulous and unreliable”
The Federal Government's Transatlantic Coordinator, Michael Link (FDP), told the "Tagesspiegel": "Donald Trump's erroneous statements about the USA's contractual obligations in the event of an attack on a NATO member prove once again how unpredictable, unscrupulous and unreliable he is The Green Party leader Omid Nouripour described the statements as threatening to common security and “reckless towards NATO”.
Former Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) said the statement was like an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to test the defense alliance.
“He won’t test us in Germany, but perhaps in the Baltics,” warned Gabriel on Deutschlandfunk on Monday.
CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen said a Trump victory in the presidential election in the fall would plunge NATO into an existential crisis.
“Anyone who, in his opinion, does not pay enough will not be protected by the USA,” he told “Bild”.
Germany must therefore “understand that we will soon have no choice but to defend ourselves at a time when there is war in Europe.
We have to do this as Europeans because anything else would be a surrender to Putin.”
On behalf of the federal government, spokeswoman Hoffmann basically pointed out that Germany is now meeting NATO's two percent target for defense spending.
She did not want to speculate about possible demands from the USA to further increase this target.
“We rely on a strong and capable NATO,” she said.
And: “We are now committed to the two percent target and also determined to continue to adhere to it.
And we are very aware of the dangers that an imperialist Russia poses for Europe and what that means for the defense capability of Germany and NATO.” dpa