Trump Declines to Back Core NATO Tenet, to Dismay of European Allies

[riversedge]

Source: WSJ



President Trump stated the U.S. wouldn’t forsake its allies but didn’t voice support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s core defense provision

By Julian E. Barnes Carol E. Lee
May 25, 2017 12:43 p.m. ET
70 COMMENTS

BRUSSELS—President Donald Trump issued tough new spending demands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization while refusing to publicly back the security alliance’s core tenet, that an attack on one member nation is an attack on all.

Mr. Trump’s refusal to say he supports NATO’s common defense provision, known as Article 5, left European diplomats dismayed. Mr. Trump spoke Thursday at the dedication of a NATO memorial devoted to Article 5. He previously raised questions about the U.S. commitment to the provision during his campaign.

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NATO allies reject Mr. Trump’s contention that a bill is owed or a debt is unpaid. When Mr. Trump has previously said Germany owes money to the alliance, allied diplomats have said the U.S. president wasn’t aware of how the alliance operates.

Under a pledge that NATO members made in 2014, they committed to “aim to move toward” spending 2% of their gross domestic products on defense by 2024. Many European allies point out that language is at best a very loose goal. The NATO common budget itself is small and allies are supposed to direct most of their military spending toward their own militaries, making them available to the alliance as a whole.

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Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-declines-to-back-core-nato-tenet-to-dismay-of-european-allies-1495730615?mod=e2tw

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What a smug face. puke!!!





Wall Street Journal?Verified account @WSJ

President Trump declined to back core NATO tenet, dismaying European allies

Link to tweet

[OldHippieChick]

1. Is there some way we can send NATO a message that this poseur will not last long and

that the rest of us believe in that tenet? I realize that is a ridiculous question, but I want there to be some magical way we can let our allies know that we know this man is loony-toons.

[ailsagirl]

3. Good question, OldHippieChick

I wish we could

[DK504]

15. We should take out an ad in a reputable European paper

and tell them how we really feel and what we are working on to get rid of him.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Oh oh, this is an enormous diplomatic unforced error. Impeachable, probably. Watch

Watch the State Department scramble to damage-control this one. All hands on deck. This really stinks.

[peggysue2]

4. I wonder . . .

if the man even knows what Article V is about? It's obvious he has no historical perspective or basic knowledge about much of anything. But himself.

Certainly, it plays into the Putin wish-list: weaken and/or dismantle the Western Alliance.

Trump is a clear and present danger to the country!

[lark]

5. Note, he said we'll stand by our allies.

I didn't see where he specified that they are our allies. I bet in his mind the ally is Russia and that's who he will support and let Europe go up in flames, he's such an ass.

[geek tragedy]

6. Komrade Kompromat says Nyet to NATO nt

[Ligyron]

7. He is SUCH a jack ass.

[cubbies01]

8. Putin

Sure is getting his money out of those tapes.

[MBS]

10. " " " " " " n/t

[MBS]

11. My daily question/rant as well.

[SunSeeker]

12. If you don't believe in Article 5, you don't believe in NATO.

And if, as a US President, you don't believe in NATO, you are unfit to serve.

[iluvtennis]

13. Dumpty is such a CLOWN. I despise him. #Resistance #NotMyPresident

[Solly Mack]

14. He has no idea how stupid he looks.

None. Completely oblivious to how stupid he looks when he makes any sort of facial expression.

I'm not surprised by his refusal. He thinks he is the leader of the free world - while actual leaders laugh at him.

Even Al Saud, for all the appearance of fawning - they, too, laugh at him.