cast doubt on the future of NATO?

During his campaign, Trump said that the US should only come to the defense of its NATO allies if it can expect those allies to reimburse the US for any incurred costs.

After his nomination as Republican candidate for President, when asked about NATO, Trump said that the US would only intervene if other NATO nations “fulfilled their obligations to us.”

NATO, a mutual defense pact, treats an attack on one member as an attack on all. Only the United States has invoked it, following the 9/11 attacks. During his first NATO summit, Trump simultaneously dedicated a monument to those lost fighting in Afghanistan, including US allies, while also chastising NATO members for not meeting spending targets.

A map of Europe with eight colors that refer to the year different countries joined the alliance.
European NATO members as of 2020. Wikipedia

Trump has called NATO “as bad as NAFTA,” an unrelated trade agreement, and suggested that one of its newest members Montenegro could start World War 3.

The New York Times – Donald Trump Sets Conditions for Defending NATO Allies Against Attack
NPR – Casting Doubt On U.S. Commitment To Mutual Defense, Donald Trump Unsettles NATO Allies
The Atlantic – Trump Remains a NATO Skeptic

suggested that Montenegro could start World War 3?

When asked by Fox News host Tucker Carlson why America should have to defend the country, Trump again cast doubt on the core tenet of NATO, the mutual defense of all member nations.

I understand what you’re saying. I’ve asked the same question. Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people. They’re very aggressive people. They may get aggressive, and congratulations, you’re in World War Three.

Montenegro is a Balkan nation of 630,000 people, and has been a NATO ally since 2017, officially joining during Trump’s presidency. Russia has behaved aggressively towards Montenegro, as it has with other neighbors, waging propaganda campaigns in the lead up to its joining NATO.

Trump infamously pushed the prime minister of Montenegro during a 2017 NATO summit.

Politico – Everything You Wanted to Know About Montenegro But Were Afraid to Ask
NBC News – Trump calls out ‘very aggressive’ Montenegro in latest NATO jibe
The New York Times – Montenegro: What to Know About the Tiny NATO Ally Trump Slighted
Wikipedia – Montenegro

pushed the leader of Montenegro?

During a May 2017 NATO summit, Trump pushed his way past the prime minister of Montenegro to stand in front of the group of leaders.

Trump has also referred to the people of Montenegro as “very aggressive,” and warned that the Balkan country of under 700,000 people could ignite World War 3.

The New York Times – Trump Appears to Push Aside the Leader of Montenegro
Associated Press – Trump pushes aside Montenegro leader who calls it natural
BBC News – Trump pushes past Montenegro’s PM

dismissed concerns about ISIS fighters escaping from Syrian prisons by saying that they’d be going to Europe?

The ISIS fighters had managed to escape from Kurdish prisons in the wake of Turkey’s offensive against them. Turkey began offensive operations after Trump unilaterally removed all US forces in the region. Trump appeared unconcerned about European or Kurdish allies.

Axios – Trump on potential ISIS escapees: “They will be escaping to Europe”
Politico – Trump shrugs off ISIS fighters fleeing Syria: They’ll ‘be escaping to Europe’

fist-bumped authoritarian Turkish leader Erdogan, saying that he “does things the right way”?

At a 2018 NATO conference while discussing with other heads of state the processes by which they would need to raise more money for the mutual defense pact, Trump reportedly praised Turkish leader Erdogan.

Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group and a CBS News senior global affairs contributor, described what he witnessed backstage at the conference:

Trump was very frustrated; he wasn’t getting commitments from other leaders to spend more. Many of them said, ‘Well, we have to ask our parliaments. We have a process; we can’t just tell you we’re going to spend more, we have a legal process.’

 

Trump turns around to the Turkish president, Recep Erdogan, and says, ‘Except for Erdogan over here. He does things the right way,’ and then actually fist-bumps the Turkish president.

Erdogan has censored the press and social media, engaged in purges against opposition, and jailed Turkish citizens for voicing dissent.

CBS News – Trump fist-bumped Turkish leader Erdogan, said he “does things the right way”
Eurasia Group – With flattery and a fist-bump, Trump endorses strongmen like never before
Wikipedia – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Authoritarianism

said the “European Union is a foe” just before meeting with Putin alone?

Much of the European Union are allies to the United States through NATO, a mutual defense pact formed explicitly to defend against the Soviet Union. He also said Russia is a “foe in certain respects” and China “is a foe economically.”

Two days later, Trump met with Putin alone for a two hour meeting without any American officials or translators present.

CBS News – “I think the European Union is a foe,” Trump says ahead of Putin meeting in Helsinki
NPR – Trump Says He Sees The European Union As A ‘Foe’ Of U.S.
CNN – Trump and Putin met one-on-one in a room for 2 hours. Here’s why that’s a problem.

said that of meetings scheduled throughout Europe, the one with Putin “may be the easiest”?

The remark immediately drew attention, given that the other meetings in Europe included with longstanding US allies, and the one scheduled with Putin would not include any other American officials. Trump explained that Putin was merely a “competitor,” and not an enemy.

In the days leading up to the meeting, he also referred to the European Union as “a foe.”

Reuters – Trump says Putin ‘competitor’, not enemy
ABC News – Trump says Putin meeting ‘may be the easiest of them all’

accused Germany of being “totally controlled by Russia”?

The accusation came at a NATO summit after Trump had questioned ongoing US military presence in Germany. He based his claim on Germany’s import of Russian oil and natural gas. Most of Europe has long purchased Russian fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, given the expense of having it shipped overseas. The US was also a net importer of oil and had until recently had also been a net importer of natural gas.

Politico EU – Trump Tips Into Germany at NATO Chief Breakfast
US Energy Information Administration – Oil Imports and Exports
US Energy Information Administration – United States has been a net exporter of natural gas for more than 12 consecutive months

called NATO “as bad as NAFTA”?

Trump made the remark at a G7 meeting, which includes 5 other NATO members. He has repeatedly attacked and cast doubt on the organization’s future. NATO is a mutual defense treaty created to defend against the Soviet Union, which includes 29 members across North America and Europe. NAFTA is a free trade agreement instituted in the 90s between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The two have no connection.

The Hill – Trump told G-7 leaders that ‘NATO is as bad as NAFTA’: report
Axios – Scoop: Trump’s private NATO trashing rattles allies
The Washington Post – Trump misunderstands NATO so badly, he thinks Brazil could be part of it

More assuredly to come soon

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