Deja Vu Or Real Fear? NATO Grapples With Trump Threats

Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2024) Donald Trump sparked outcry by threatening not to defend NATO members who do not spend enough, but for diplomats at the alliance that weathered his time in office there was a sense of deja vu.

At a campaign rally in the US state of South Carolina the volatile former reality tv star said he told the leader of a "big" European power he wouldn't step in if Russia attacked an ally not meeting its financial obligations.

"No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want," Trump told his supporters.

The outburst was the most extreme from the Republican frontrunner casting doubt on his commitment to NATO's collective defence umbrella that has safeguarded Europe since World War II.

US President Joe Biden -- who has pledged iron-cast backing for the alliance -- slammed the comments from his likely opponent in November's presidential election as "appalling and dangerous".

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg issued an unusually strong-worded rebuttal to Trump, saying "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US".

The spectre of a returning Trump undermining the central role played by the US at a time Russia is waging war in Ukraine is a nightmare for many European officials.

One senior NATO diplomat, speaking like others on condition of anonymity, called the comment an "attack on the soul of the alliance" for casting doubt on its Article 5 vow to protect an ally if attacked.

But it's far from the first time that the ex-real estate magnate has bullied fellow NATO members to splash out more on their own defence.