Trump’s NATO Threat Reflects a Wider Shift on America’s Place in the World

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Alliances that were once seen as the bulwark of the Cold War are now viewed as an outdated albatross by a significant segment of the American public.

When former President Donald J. Trump told a campaign rally in South Carolina last weekend that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO allies who “didn’t pay,” there were gasps of shock in Washington, London, Paris, Tokyo and elsewhere around the world.

But not in South Carolina. At least not in the room that day. The crowd of Trump supporters decked out in “Make America Great Again” T-shirts and baseball caps reacted to the notion of siding with Moscow over longtime friends of the United States with boisterous cheers and whistles. “Delinquent” allies? Forget them. Not America’s problem.

The visceral rejection of the American-led security architecture constructed in the years after World War II serves as a reminder of how much the notion of U.S. leadership in the world has shifted in recent years. Alliances that were once seen as the bulwark of the Cold War are now viewed as an outdated albatross by a significant segment of the American public that Mr. Trump appeals to.

The old consensus that endured even in the initial years after the end of the Cold War has frayed under the weight of globalization, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Great Recession of 2008-09 and Mr. Trump’s relentless assault on international institutions and agreements. While polls show most Americans still support NATO and other alliances, the increasingly vocal objections in some quarters hark back to a century ago when much of America just wanted to be left alone. » | Peter Baker, Reporting from Washington | Thursday, February 15, 2024

Entsetzte Reaktionen auf die NATO-Äußerungen von Donald Trump | DW News

Feb 14, 2024 | "Würde Euch nicht beschützen": Der frühere US-Präsident Trump sorgt mit seinen umstrittenen Aussagen zu Nato-Verbündeten für harsche Kritik bei den Mitgliedern der Allianz. Müssen sich die europäischen Nato-Partner jetzt Sorgen machen? Dazu Einschätzungen vom CSU-Bundestagsabgeordneten Thomas Silberhorn.

Nato Chief Rebukes Donald Trump and Announces Record Defence Spending

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Jens Stoltenberg accuses Trump of undermining alliance and says 18 members are expected to invest at least 2% of GDP this year

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, has accused Donald Trump of undermining the basis of the transatlantic alliance as he announced that 18 Nato members were expected to beat the target of spending more than 2% of GDP on defence.

It was the second rebuke by the Nato chief to the Republican frontrunner in less than a week, reinforced by a declaration that Germany was among the countries planning to spend over the threshold for the first time in a generation.

“We should not undermine the credibility of Nato’s deterrence,” Stoltenberg said on Wednesday as he responded to comments made by Trump at a campaign rally at the weekend. “Deterrence is in the mind of our adversaries,” he added. » | Dan Sabbagh in Brussels | Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Donald Trump's comments are often stupid, We have come to expect stupidity from Trump. But this comment re countries being "delinquent" in their payments to NATO was not only stupid but highly irresponsible. OUTRAGEOUS, in fact. This is proof, if proof were indeed needed, that the man is not fit to be POTUS. At this point, it is difficult to make a judgment on who is stupider and more irresponsible: Donald Trump or the people who vote for him! – © Mark Alexander

EN FRANÇAIS :

OTAN : pourquoi Donald Trump a-t-il accusé les alliés d’être « des mauvais payeurs » ? : L’ex-président américain a semé la confusion entre le financement direct de l’OTAN et les dépenses militaires des alliés, qui sont censées représenter au moins 2 % de leur PIB. »

AUF DEUTSCH :

VIDEO: „Dumm, beschämend, unamerikanisch“: Früherer Präsident und aktueller Präsidentschaftskandidat Donald Trump droht NATO-Mitgliedsstaaten keinen Schutz vor Russland zu gewähren, wenn sie ihre Verteidigungsausgaben nicht zahlen. Biden reagiert entschieden und verteidigt die NATO als unverzichtbar »

Steve Schmidt Reacts to Donald Trump's Dangerous NATO Comments | The Warning

Feb 12, 2024 | Steve Schmidt reacts to Donald Trump's remarks this weekend. Trump said he would "encourage" Russia to attack any NATO member that failed to meet the alliance's target of 2% of their GDP.

Trump should be sent to the madhouse, but definitely not to the White House!

Trump sollte ins Irrenhaus geschickt, aber auf keinen Fall ins Weiße Haus!

Trump devrait être envoyé à la maison de fous, mais certainement pas à la Maison Blanche ! – © Mark Alexander

Nato Chief Says Trump Remarks May Put US and EU Lives At Risk

THE GUARDIAN: Jens Stoltenberg says Nato ‘ready and able to defend all allies’, after Trump invited Russia to attack member countries

The Nato chief, Jens Stoltenberg, has said any attack on the western military alliance would be met with a “united and forceful response”, after Donald Trump invited Russia to attack member countries that he perceived as not meeting their financial obligations.

Stoltenberg said in a statement: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed Nato ally.”

He said Nato remained “ready and able to defend all allies”. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris and Lili Bayer in Brussels | Sunday, February 11, 2024

Trump should under no circumstances be allowed back into the White House. Trump is a clown and a fool - a dangerous clown and fool! The man is a moron - a mentally unstable moron at that! Why it is taking the authorities in the US so long to lock him up is puzzling indeed. The man belongs in jail for all he has inflicted on the US and for all the damage he has done to democracy worldwide. The best-case scenario for Trump is that he be locked up in a madhouse, as I wrote yesterday in German. (ich schrieb, daß er in einem Irrenhaus gehört und nicht im Weißen Haus.)

What has been reported today regarding what Trump has said re Russia and NATO is proof positive that my words are no exaggeration.

Why the hell is the world wasting so much time on this waster: America's gift to Putin? – © Mark Alexander

Donald Trump Says He Would Encourage Russia to Attack Nato Allies Who Pay Too Little

THE GUARDIAN: Remarks by former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee described as ‘unhinged’ by the White House

Seeking a second presidency as the Republicans’ presumptive 2024 White House nominee, Donald Trump has said he would “encourage” Russia to attack any of the US’s Nato allies whom he considers to have not met their financial obligations.

The White House described the remarks as “appalling and unhinged”. Trump made the statement on Saturday during a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, ahead of the state’s Republican presidential preference primary on 24 February.

The former president has voiced misgivings about aid to Ukraine as it defends itself from the invasion launched by Russia in February 2022 – as well as to the existence of Nato, the 31-nation alliance which the US has committed to defending when necessary.

On Saturday, Trump claimed that during an unspecified Nato meeting he told a fellow head of state that the US under his leadership would not defend any countries who were “delinquent”. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Sunday, February 11, 2024

Russia Could Attack Nato within Three Years, Warns Denmark

THE TELEGRAPH: The Danish defence minister has warned Russia could go to war with Nato in as little as three years.

Troels Lund Poulsen, who also serves as Denmark’s deputy prime minister, has joined colleagues from the UK, Sweden, Romania, Germany and others in raising the alarm about increased Russian defence spending and manufacturing.

“It cannot be ruled out that within a three- to five-year period, Russia will test Article 5 and Nato’s solidarity. That was not Nato’s assessment in 2023. This is new information that is coming to the fore now,” Mr Poulsen told Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper. » | Friday, February 9, 2024

Analysts Warn There Could Be a Russian Attack on a NATO Member State

Jan 30, 2024 | “If that’s not a wake up call I don’t know what is.” NATO should “start negotiations” with Russia before it’s too late, as analysts believe there could be a Russian attack on a NATO state “in the next seven years”, former BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith tells Times Radio.

If NATO Fails to Prepare for Conflict, Another World War Could Come | Lord Dannatt

Premiered Jan 19, 2024 | “The reason we got involved in the Second World War is that there was a failure to rearm in the 1930s.” Lord Dannatt compares Britain today to Britain in the 1930s in the run-up to World War II, with a dictator in Europe and a shortage of arms.

NATO Prepares for All-out War with Russia | Jamie Shea

Jan 19, 2024 | “We're past the point where Nato taking steps to defend itself is going to be a contributory factor to war.” “Nato’s preparations for defence has started”, as Nato official Rob Bauer warns that civilians must prepare for all-out war with Russia in the next 20 years, explains Jamie Shea.

Nato Warns of All-out War with Russia in Next 20 Years

THE TELEGRAPH: Top official urges civilians as well as governments to prepare for life-changing conflict and potential conscription

Nato's military is ready, but civilians must also prepare for war, one of the alliance's top figures has said CREDIT: Staff Sgt Agustín Montañez
Civilians must prepare for all-out war with Russia in the next 20 years, a top Nato military official has warned.

While armed forces are primed for the outbreak of war, private citizens need to be ready for a conflict that would require wholesale change in their lives, Adml Rob Bauer said on Thursday.

Large numbers of civilians will need to be mobilised in case of the outbreak of war and governments should put in place systems to manage the process, Adml Bauer told reporters after a meeting of Nato defence chiefs in Brussels.

“We have to realise it’s not a given that we are in peace. And that’s why we [Nato forces] are preparing for a conflict with Russia.

“But the discussion is much wider. It is also the industrial base and also the people that have to understand they play a role.” » | Joe Barnes and Matt Oliver | Thursday, January 18, 2024

NATO Makes Major Changes to Address New Threats | DW News

Dec 28, 2023 | The war in Ukraine has led NATO to re-evaluate security, especially on its eastern flank with Russia. Germany's recent announcement of a permanent troop deployment there – the first of its kind since the second world war – is just one such change.

Former NATO General: Western Self-deterrence Only Prolongs Ukraine War | Conflict Zone

Sep 13, 2023 | Retired British Army General Sir Richard Sherriff says NATO may eventually need to conduct operations against Russia if the war in Ukraine dragged on and became “a running sore” in Eastern Europe. The former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, also told DW that Western self-deterrence had prolonged the war and that the best way to end the Kremlin’s nuclear saber-rattling was to build a credible conventional defense in NATO.

The Observer View on Nato Summit’s Failure to Offer Ukraine Membership

THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: While leaders dined out on a half deal with Turkey’s Erdoğan, Volodymr Zelenskiy was left looking like a poor man at a feast

Volodymyr Zelenskiy had to put a brave face on it, after being petulantly accused of ingratitude by British defence secretary Ben Wallace, but last week’s Nato summit was a disappointment for Ukraine’s president and the embattled country he leads. Nato’s repeated failure to offer an unambiguous timetable for Kyiv’s full membership will be seen by the Kremlin as a weak hedging of bets. It will probably be exploited in any future talks to end the war.

To be sure, Ukraine received pledges of long-term support, more weaponry and G7 assistance, and the halfway house of a Ukraine-Nato council. “We’re not going anywhere. You’re stuck with us,” US president Joe Biden joked. But Zelenskiy’s dutiful laughter seemed a little forced. Sincere though he is, Biden cannot be sure of keeping his promise. In 18 months’ time, US policy under a less supportive Republican successor could be very different. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, July 16, 2023

Turkey Backs Sweden's Nato Membership - Stoltenberg

BBC: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join Nato, the military alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg says.

He said the Turkish leader would forward Sweden's bid to the parliament in Ankara and "ensure ratification".

Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: "I am very happy, it is a good day for Sweden."

Turkey had previously spent months blocking Sweden's application, accusing it of hosting Kurdish militants.

As one of Nato's 31 members, Turkey has a veto over any new country joining the group.

Reacting to the news, US President Joe Biden said he welcomed the commitment by President Erdogan to proceed with "swift ratification". » | BBC | Monday, July 10, 2023

Glücklich über das Ende der „Basarverhandlungen“: Erleichterung in Stockholm: Der türkische Präsident Erdogan hat seine Blockadepolitik aufgegeben. Die Regierung in Stockholm betont, man habe keine neuen Zugeständnisse gemacht, um den NATO-Beitritt möglich zu machen. »

Erdogan Says E.U. Must ‘Clear the Way’ for Turkey Before It Will Support Sweden’s NATO Bid

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Turkish president’s surprising new demand was bound to frustrate other leaders in the military alliance one day before a high-profile summit.

“Nobody should expect compromise nor understanding from me,” said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. | Umit Bektas/Reuters
ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance’s efforts to expand.

Mr. Erdogan’s latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO’s two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member.

That outcome now appears increasingly unlikely, with Mr. Erdogan posing the main obstacle to Sweden’s membership.

“First, clear the way for Turkey in the European Union, then we will clear the way for Sweden as we did for Finland,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters before traveling to the NATO summit. » | Ben Hubbard | Monday, July 10, 2023

‘You Are the Future of Europe,’ Erdogan Tells Turks: Calling Turks the “future of Europe,” Turkey’s president on Friday implored his compatriots living on the Continent to have multiple children as an act of revenge against the West’s “injustices.” »

Erdoğan Builds Another Mega-Mosque, This Time in Germany: The City Council of Wuppertal, a municipality in western Germany with a substantial Muslim population, has voted to approve the construction of a controversial new mega-mosque that will be controlled by the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a tireless propagator of political Islam in Europe. »

Erdogan is like Janus: His face looks in two directions! One minute he looks West; the next, East.

If Europe wants to be Islamized, its leaders need to pave the way for Turkey’s accession to the European Union. If, however, they want Europe to remain largely Judæo Christian, …

Tough choices lie ahead. – © Mark Alexander

NATO Responds to Swedish Quran Burning

Jun 29, 2023 | NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that he understood the emotion caused by the burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden but urged for a compromise over Sweden's accession to NATO.

Koran-burning Protest Could Further Delay Sweden's Bid to Join NATO • FRANCE 24 English

Jun 29, 2023 | A man tore up and burned a Koran outside Stockholm's central mosque on Wednesday, an event that risks angering Turkey as Sweden bids to join NATO, after Swedish police granted permission for the protest to take place.

What Erdogan's Win Means for Turkey and the World | DW News

May 29, 2023 | President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won an election runoff to begin a third decade in power. Turkey's long-serving leader won 52 percent of the vote, despite facing the biggest challenge to his rule. His rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, called the election unfair, without disputing the outcome. He'd promised to restore democratic norms if elected, and increasingly veered to an anti-migrant platform in the final days of campaigning.

Reports Russian Missiles Have Killed Two People in NATO Member Poland