During a meeting this Saturday, Donald Trump threatened to no longer guarantee the protection of NATO countries, particularly against Russia, in the event of his return to the White House. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ruled on Monday that these statements were “irresponsible” and “dangerous”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday judged “irresponsible” and “dangerous” the recent statements of Donald Trump, who threatened to no longer guarantee the protection of NATO countries against Russia if they did not pay their share . “Any relativization of NATO’s guarantee of assistance is irresponsible and dangerous, and only serves Russia’s interests,” Olaf Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin with his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk. “No one should play with the security of Europe,” he added.
“A cold shower for all of us”
Donald Tusk agreed: the words of former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021) are “a cold shower for all of us, especially for those who have not really noticed or become aware of the threat reality that we face. “We really need to focus on full cooperation with the United States, but Europe also needs to invest in its own security,” added Donald Tusk.
Donald Trump, who will likely face US President Joe Biden in the November presidential election, regularly criticizes the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies for not keeping their commitments on military spending . During the campaign, he had already threatened several times to leave NATO if he returned to the White House. On Saturday, the former American president affirmed that he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO countries if they did not pay their share, sparking indignation and consternation in Europe and the within the organization.