Former President Donald Trump criticized NATO countries in an interview with British television Tuesday, saying the other 31 countries in the Atlantic alliance need to “pay up” to ensure US protection.
Trump, 77, has criticized NATO countries for not spending enough money on defense in the past, but went further in the sitdown with GB News presenter Nigel Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence and Brexit parties and a staunch ally of the 45th president.
“Why should we guard these countries that have a lot of money and the United States was paying for most of NATO?” Trump asked, referencing statements he made last month suggesting he would let Russia have a free hand against countries who aren’t keeping up their commitments.
“When I went there, I had already had it out with them [in the past],” Trump added, according to a clip of the interview that will air in full later Tuesday.
“NATO was not paying, I went to the first meeting early in my administration and I saw what was going on and I said ‘You’re gonna have to pay your bills, everybody.’ Then at the second meeting, I hit them hard,” Trump said, .
“The question was then asked by the head of a major country in front of everyone else, ‘So if we don’t pay our bills, are you going to protect us from Russia?'”
The former president recalled saying at that meeting: “‘You mean you’re delinquent? You’re not paying the bills? Then no, I’m not going to pay you. We’re not going to do it.’
“We’re not going to defend you if you’re not paying your bills. It’s very simple,” Trump went on. “And hundreds of billions of dollars came flowing in.”
In 2014, NATO leaders vowed to commit 2% of their national gross domestic product to defense spending in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. This year, 18 of the alliance’s 32 members are expected to meet that benchmark.
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“NATO became strong because of me. Now NATO has to treat the US fairly because if it wasn’t for the United States, NATO wouldn’t even exist. They took advantage of us — like most countries do.”
Farage then questioned whether Trump would order the US to come to the defense of NATO countries like Poland if they increased their defense spending.
“Yes,” said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. “But the United States should pay its fair share, not everybody else’s fair share.”