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.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
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