As of: February 18, 2024, 11:37 a.m
By: Bettina Menzel
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Former US President Donald Trump gives a speech in New York City (archive photo from October 2023).
© Imago/John Angelillo/UPI Photo
The world may have to prepare for a second term in office for Donald Trump.
Despite the tense geopolitical situation, the Republican apparently wants to establish a new NATO model.
Washington – Former US President Donald Trump continues to wander through the media even without a political role, simply because of his numerous legal problems.
Nevertheless, the 77-year-old is currently the most promising Republican candidate for the US presidential election.
On Saturday, the real estate mogul once again criticized the NATO defense alliance during an election campaign appearance.
In the future, the following will apparently apply: Anyone who does not pay will not receive US protection.
According to insiders, Trump's team is already discussing concrete plans after an election victory - including a new NATO model.
Trump vs. defaulting NATO nations: “No, I wouldn’t protect you”
At the election campaign event on Saturday, Trump supposedly talked about everything.
The “president of a large country” once asked him whether the USA would still protect this country from Russia even if it did not pay for defense spending.
The Republican replied: “No, I wouldn’t protect you.” Instead, he would “even encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want.”
It cannot be independently verified whether such a conversation actually took place.
Trump himself added: "Let's assume that happened." The Republican is not necessarily known for his love of the truth: During his time in office alone, the 77-year-old told
over 30,000 lies, according to
the Washington Post .
Either way, the message was clear.
Countries that do not contribute at least two percent of their gross domestic product will no longer receive US protection.
The North Atlantic Defense Alliance was founded in 1955 on a simple premise: an attack on one member is an attack on all, as Article 5 states.
Trump apparently wants to reduce the US's NATO commitments if he wins the election
According to a report by the US news portal
Bloomberg,
Trump's confidants are already discussing a two-stage model for the NATO alliance in the event of an election victory.
This would stipulate that Article 5 would only apply to nations that meet their defense spending targets.
The decision has not yet been finalized, the insiders told the US newspaper.
There is also the idea of a kind of tax for defaulting countries.
Mark Esper, the former Defense Secretary under Trump, also sees no prospects for NATO if the Republican is re-elected.
The ex-president sees the North Atlantic defense alliance as a kind of “country club”.
"If you don't pay the fees, then you can't use the spa or golf," Esper told
Newsweek
.
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Military expert counters: This is how a former NATO general assesses Trump's statements
Trump is a power-obsessed populist in election campaign mode, “who will use almost any means to get back into power,” said former NATO general Erhard Bühler, commenting on the former US president's statement in the podcast “What to do, Mr. General?”
The Republican is taking advantage of “the mood of part of society in the USA”.
This part says: “What does the war in Ukraine concern us?
[...] We want our tax money to be spent on our needs." From Bühler's point of view, Trump is a man who "lacks a lot, decency, education, consideration, thoughtfulness."
The quote about NATO from the former US president fits the picture perfectly.
The ex-president questioned the cohesion of the 31 NATO states with his statement, “a cohesion that must and is also in the very own interest of the USA.” A world power in particular needs allies who form a community of values with it.
Bühler, on the other hand, does not see any “knowledgeable American” who wants to break up the North Atlantic community for strategic reasons.
Such populist statements also went against the actual interests of the USA, says the ex-NATO general.
However, Europe has provided the fodder for such statements.
The former NATO general was alluding to the fact that numerous countries, including Germany, had not achieved NATO's two percent target for many years.