The White House on Saturday rejected comments made by former US president Donald Trump about not protecting NATO allies from a potential Russian invasion as “appalling and unhinged.”
Trump, appearing to recount a meeting with NATO leaders during a political rally in South Carolina on Saturday, quoted the president of “a big country” that he did not name as asking: “Well sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia — will you protect us?”
“I said: ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said: ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay,” Trump said.
Photo: Bloomberg
Asked about Trump’s comments, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said: “Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged — and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.”
The NATO treaty contains a provision that guarantees mutual defense of member states if one is attacked.
Trump, front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, was a fierce critic of NATO when he was president, repeatedly threatening to pull out of the alliance. He cut defense funding to NATO and frequently complained that the US was paying more than its fair share.
Bates said that US President Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election, had restored US alliances after taking office in 2021, ensuring that NATO was now “the largest and most vital it has ever been.”
“Rather than calling for wars and promoting deranged chaos, President Biden will continue to bolster American leadership and stand up for our national security interests — not against them,” he said in a statement.
With Trump leading Biden in some polls, European allies worry a Trump victory in November could jeopardize the US commitment to the alliance, but NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last month said he did not think a second Trump presidency would jeopardize US membership.
Stoltenberg, who has been pushing member states to boost defense spending, said European allies were increasing their military contributions and “moving in the right direction.”
Trump has continued to hammer the transatlantic alliance, telling a campaign rally last month that he did not believe NATO countries would support the US if it were attacked.
On Russia’s war in Ukraine, Trump has called for de-escalation and complained about the billions of US dollars spent so far, although he has put forward few tangible policy proposals.
Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, US aid to Ukraine has totaled about US$75 billion, Stoltenberg said, while other NATO members and partner states combined have provided more than US$100 billion.
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
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A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
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