Donald Trump has promised a wave of mass expulsions of migrants if he regains the US presidency He questioned whether his government would guarantee NATO security against Russia, during a campaign event in South Carolina.
Trump, who often reproaches members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for not adequately funding the alliance, also argued that they would refuse to defend any of these countries against Russiain case they are in default.
The former president referred to a conversation with a leader he did not identify during a NATO meeting.
“The president of a great country stood up and asked, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay and Russia attacks us, would you protect us?’ And I said, ‘If you haven’t paid, you’ve committed a crime.'”
“I wouldn’t protect him. In fact, I would encourage it [a Rusia] do what he wants. You have to pay, you have to pay your bills,” Trump stressed.
The White House has rejected those statements.
“We encourage invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes It’s scary and crazy“said spokesman Andrew Bates.
Donald Trump and Angela Merkel during a NATO summit in 2019. AP Photo“Rather than call for war and promote chaos, President Biden will continue to support American leadership,” the spokesperson added.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that these statements by Trump “they undermine everyone’s safety.”
“Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines everyone’s security, including that of the United States, and exposes American and European soldiers to greater risks“he underlined in a statement.
The US Senate will debate the relief package next week which includes 95,000 million dollars for Ukraine -at war after being invaded by Russia-, for Israel’s fight against the militants of the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas and for Taiwan, its strategic ally.
Most would go to help Ukraine replenish depleted supplies of ammunition, weapons and other crucial needs as the war nears its two-year mark.
Doubts with Ukraine
On more than one occasion Trump appeared doubtful and even opposed to continuing US assistance to Ukraine and even threatened to leave NATO if he returned to the White House.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, accused Trump of “serving the interests” of Russian President Vladimir Putin, after threatening yesterday not to protect NATO countries that do not allocate enough money for collective defense.
Michel defined these statements by the now Republican candidate for the White House as “reckless” and underlined, without explicitly mentioning Trump, that his words “they do not bring more security or more peace to the world”, according to what the Belgian politician stated through a message on the social network
According to the president of the European Council, Trump’s statements call into question the very security of the Atlantic Alliance and “the solidarity provided for by Article 5” of the NATO Treaty, which guarantees collective defense in the event that a member of the bloc is attacked militarily from another country.
According to Michel, the words of the former American president “reaffirm the need for the European Union urgently develop its strategic autonomy and invest in its defense,” as well as outlining a plan to “keep NATO strong.”
“The Transatlantic Alliance has supported the security and prosperity of Americans, Canadians and Europeans for 75 years”, added the president of the European Council, the community institution made up of the presidents and prime ministers of the 27 EU member countries.
Against migrants
Trump also welcomed the rollback of legislation to address the immigration crisis at the Mexican border and pledged there will be a massive “deportation operation” on his first day in office.
The US Senate’s abandonment of the bipartisan bill this week highlighted Trump’s tight control over Republicans, denying Democratic President Joe Biden a victory on the burning issue of immigration.
The draft legislation also included an additional aid package to Ukraine and Israel, which will now be treated separately.
“We crushed corrupt Joe Biden’s disastrous open borders bill.”Trump said this during Saturday night’s rally.
“On day one, I will end all of the Biden administration’s open border policies and begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. We have no choice,” he said.
At the rally, Trump also made mocking comments about Nikky Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and his rival in the Republican primary in which he is far behind.
“Where is your husband? Oh, he’s not here, he’s not here!“she said ironically to underline that Michael Haley, husband of the Republican candidate, does not accompany her to her campaign events.
“What happened to your husband? What happened to him?”, she repeated, creating dramatic effects with her tone of voice.
Very distant from Trump, the former UN ambassador responded sharply on the X network.
“Michel is at the service of his country, something you know nothing about. “A person who consistently disrespects the sacrifice of military families has nothing to turn to as commander in chief,” Haley said.
Michel Haley completes a year-long military deployment in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa. He also responded to Trump. “The difference between man and animal? Animals would not allow the stupidest among them to lead the pack”, he also wrote on X, next to a photo of a wolf.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.