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David Cameron blasts Trump’s NATO stance as ‘not sensible’
By Rob Harris
London: David Cameron has become the most senior member of Britain’s Conservative government to explicitly criticise Donald Trump’s suggestion that the United States would not protect its NATO allies who fail to spend enough on defence.
The British foreign secretary said the remarks made by the Republican presidential frontrunner on Saturday were “not a sensible approach”, adding the Northern Atlantic military alliance was “more essential than ever” in a “very dangerous and uncertain world”.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron.Credit: AP
European leaders on Monday decried Trump’s suggestion that he would “encourage” Russia to attack any NATO country that does not contribute 2 per cent of its GDP to the alliance’s coffers.
Article 5 requires each of the military alliance’s 31 countries to come to the aid of any member who becomes a victim of an armed attack. It has been invoked only once, following the September 11 terrorist attack on the US.
Speaking to reporters as he visited East Kilbride, Scotland, Cameron said he was a “very strong” supporter of NATO, adding it was only getting stronger after the addition of Sweden and Finland this year.
“It is what helps to keep us safe and that is so essential in this world where we have seen Putin’s terrible illegal invasion of Ukraine,” Cameron said.
He said Britain wanted all countries to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence but added it was not “responsible or sensible to say some of the things that have been said”.
Downing Street was more reserved in its response towards the former US president, saying the UK remained fully committed to standing with its allies to combat Russian aggression.
Asked if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was confident the US would remain a dependable partner regardless of who wins the November vote, his official spokesman said: “We’ve always worked with the US and we’ve worked with the US through a number of administrations and will continue to do so in the future”.
Trump on Saturday recalled how as president he told an unidentified NATO member that he would “encourage” Russia to do as it wishes in cases of allies who were “delinquent”.
“You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?” Trump recounted saying. “No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”
The comments earned a rebuke from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said any suggestion that allies would not defend each other “undermines all of our security”.
During his time in office, Trump repeatedly criticised European NATO members for too heavily relying on US military protection while failing to meet the agreed level of investment in their armed forces.
His outbursts were often directed at Germany and other major European economies, including France, who are still below NATO’s 2 per cent target. However, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago both are expected to meet the goal in the coming years, with Germany expected to pass the level this year for the first time since 1991.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Trump’s comments were “irresponsible” and “even play into Russia’s hands”.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country spends more on defence than any NATO ally with 4.3 per cent of GDP, said on a visit to Paris that there was “no alternative” to European security.
“Europe must become a safe continent,” he said, citing the slogan from the French novel The Three Musketeers: “all for one, one for all”.
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