Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete F.
Trump if re-elected would have withdrawn the USA from NATO, as he had threatened.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
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he threatened to get those European countries to commit more...seems like he was right about a lot...
NOV 2018 MILITARY TIMES
President Donald Trump on Monday unloaded on the U.S.’s European allies, and appeared to threaten to pull out of NATO, French President Emmanuel Macron openly rebuked Trump’s political philosophy in a speech the day before.
The U.S. by far spends the most in NATO, both on its own defense budget and on programs to increase the readiness and capabilities of its European allies.
In 2014, NATO countries agreed to raise their defense spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2024. So far, only five countries — mainly in eastern and central Europe where the threat of Russia looms large — have met that pledge.
Since his campaign days, Trump has demanded NATO countries meet that 2 percent figure, or even double it, immediately.
Germany, Europe's biggest economy, has expressed little interest in hitting that benchmark.
Greece is one of the few NATO countries that meet the 2percent spending mark, but it spends much of that on pensions.