Any message from donald trump often provokes great media attention but the words of the Republican political provocateur at a meeting last Saturday Campaign rally in Conway (South Carolina)’s spending on allied defense spending in the middle of a war in Ukraine and his party’s resistance to continue providing military aid to Kiev have once again triggered alarm between the countries. Atlantic AllianceConsidering that it is possible impact on common security He said he would seek a second term as president of the United States.
Origin of the controversy
Do you protect? United States of America in case of attack Russia To an allied country? According to Trump, this question was asked by the president of a “great country” during the rally he organized within the framework of his party’s primaries to determine the next presidential candidate to compete in the November elections, and was a question he did not explain. His response shows that his approach to the debate over allied defense spending has not changed in the four years since he lost the election: “Have you not paid? (…) No, I would not protect them. In fact, I would encourage them (the Russians) to do whatever they want. We have to pay the debts.” ” wales peak It will be allocated in 2014 2% of GDP will be allocated to military spending by 2024 And 20% of spending on military capabilities. It’s a debate that, according to allied sources, has been “flawed” for years because it does not take into account the contribution of many countries to operations and missions. There are currently 11 countries reaching the 2 percent target. Spain plans to arrive in 2029.
mutual defense clause
Reactions to the impact of Trump’s words since Saturday mutual defense clause collection in Article 5 of the NATO Treaty they increased. What does this article say? “An armed attack against one of them (allied nations) in Europe or North America would be considered an attack against all of them.” In the event of such an attack, it continues: “Each shall, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence granted in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, assist the attacked party or parties and shall thereafter adopt the following: Security in the North Atlantic area “It will take, individually and in agreement with other parties, the measures it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to ensure its restoration.”
Rebuke from NATO, EU and White House
“Any suggestion that Allies will not defend each other undermines our entire security, including that of the United States, and puts American and European soldiers at greater risk,” NATO Secretary General said on Sunday. said. Jens StoltenbergHe will leave office after the summer. “Encouraging the invasion of our closest allies by murderous regimes is horrific and senseless,” the White House responded. The same goes for the president of the European Council. Charles Michel“Reckless statements” questioning Article 5 “serve only (Vladímir) Putin’s interests” and harm the transatlantic alliance. The high representative added on Monday: “Let’s be serious, NATO cannot be an à la carte military alliance that operates depending on the mood of the US president.” Josep Borrell.
Unrest among Allies
“No election campaign can be an excuse to play with the security of the Alliance,” the Polish Defense Minister warned: Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. “Trump directly wants Europe to be handed over to Putin,” his colleague from Internal Affairs said. Marcin Kierwinski. Although some allied diplomats find it difficult to think that Trump’s second term could be contrary to NATO, everyone in the organization believes that the deterioration in security will affect not only Europe but also the United States. In any case, what happened on Saturday is another sign for Europeans of the need for Europe to improve itself. “strategic autonomy” and will strengthen its weight within the alliance.
Intimidated by precedents
This is not the first time Trump has used this type of threat against NATO. According to the internal market commissioner in Strasbourg at the beginning of the year, Thierry BretonTrump already did this with the president of the European Commission in 2020. Ursula von der Leyen, as interlocutor. “They must understand that if Europe is attacked, we will never give them aid and support,” he said, quickly adding: “In any case, NATO is dead and we will leave, we will leave NATO.” At the same meeting, the republican would reproach Von der Leyen, saying that Berlin owed her $400,000 million “because you Germans did not pay what you had to pay for defense.” An attack that is not a singular situation. In July 2018, Trump thrust Berlin into the spotlight, accusing the country of being “controlled by Russia” and even condemned allies for not paying the money they were owed during the unveiling of two monuments at NATO headquarters a year ago.