One day after President Trump left the NATO Summit where he dealt harsh criticisms towards former allies and called for other member nations to increase their defense spending, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis called the NATO Summit “highly successful.” He also said the summit demonstrated the US faith in its international allies.
While addressing a group of fellow defense ministers from Adriatic nations at the US Adriatic Charter Defense Ministerial Meeting in Croatia, Mattis said, “Coming out of our highly successful NATO Summit in Brussels, it is clear that the US will continue strengthen our alliances and partnerships in the region, and this is a priority enshrined in America’s recently released US National Defense Strategy.”
GOP Senator John McCain just weighed in on President Trump’s performance at the NATO summit in Brussels.
Here’s what he tweeted:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to directly answer when asked to confirm President Trump’s claim that Canada and others will spend more on defense.
Trudeau would only say that Canada remains committed to increasing military spending as it pledged at the NATO Summit in 2014. (That agreement says countries will increase their spending to 2% by 2024.)
Trudeau was then asked: “So what President Trump said today was wrong?”
“We committed in the declaration yesterday to the Wales agreement, and you can triple check the wording in that which moves us toward 2%,” Trudeau responded.
In a follow-up answer, Trudeau added, “70% is clearly not doubling.”
President Trump’s suggestion that NATO countries increase their spending to 4% was not agreed to at the summit, said a senior diplomatic NATO source with knowledge of the discussions.
The source described “frank discussions on burden-sharing” among leaders of the member countries at the end of the summit. The leaders “recommitted to 2%” of GDP defense spending by 2024 — a goal that had already been set.
“You saw the President set out his beliefs,” the source said, suggesting his sentiments were not shared by the other leaders.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gave vague answers Thursday to repeated questions about the details of what was achieved between NATO allies during the summit in Brussels.
He responded that it was a “good summit, meaning that we reached conclusions” and a sense of understanding that they are “stronger together and need fair burden sharing.”
Stoltenberg also said NATO is now “more united than before the summit” due to an “open and frank discussion.”
French President Emmanuel Macron questioned — then rejected — President Trump’s claim that NATO members might boost defense spending to 4% of GDP, which is twice the agreed commitment.
“I don’t even know if it’s a good measure,” Macron said after Trump gave an impromptu news conference.
Then, Macron went further, rejecting Trump’s assertion that NATO allies “agreed to substantially up their commitment. “
Macron did back Trump’s assertion that the leaders’ meeting had been collegial.
Asked if German leader Angela Merkel had been treated rudely at the summit, Macron said, “I heard comments, saw messages in 140 characters, but I also went to the debates. They were respectful and demanding.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she experienced “all in all, a very intensive summit” with the representatives of the NATO member states who “once again” had a “very fundamental discussion.”
“The American president demanded, what has been discussed for months, a change in the burden-sharing,” she said, and added that she knows Germany “must do more.”
She was asked about the Monday meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Merkel said the two leaders meeting is “good for everyone.”
“I think, and hope, that perhaps also questions of disarmament, of nuclear disarmament will be discussed. That would be a good signal for us all if talks on that could get off the ground again. All in all, I believe this meeting with President Putin is very important, since when the USA and Russia are talking, it’s good for everyone and also good for security more broadly,” Merkel said.
President Trump just wrapped up a news conference after the NATO summit in Brussels.
Here are five of the key things he said:
President Trump answered a number of questions from US and international journalists during his post-NATO summit press conference.
Here are the key takeaways:
President Trump did not rule out ceasing military exercises in the Baltic States if Russian President Vladimir Putin requested it during their meeting Monday.
Asked if he would cancel them, Trump said, “Perhaps we’ll talk about that.”
Trump and Putin are set to meet in Finland on Monday.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he will ask Russian President Vladimir Putin at their upcoming meeting about Russian election meddling during the 2016 campaign.
“I will be asking that question again,” Trump said. “He may deny it. It’s one of those things.”
Trump also said he would tell Putin: “Don’t do it again.”
President Donald Trump said he is OK with protests set to take place in the UK for the President’s visit there later today.
Trump also said he is going to “a pretty hot spot” right now, pointing to the string of resignations from Prime Minister’s Theresa May’s government.
Watch more:
President Trump was asked what he’d do if US allies don’t up their defense spending.
Here’s how he responded
President Trump defended his approach to dealing with NATO allies, in particular Germany, during his news conference on Thursday, calling it “a very effective way to deal.”
“I think it’s a very effective way to deal,” Trump said when askedabout his insulting comments aimed at Germany. “It’s a very effective way of negotiating.”
Trump pointed to increased financial commitments from NATO allies as a measure of his success, though it was not immediately clear what specific pledges he secured and the President declined to elaborate beyond saying NATO allies will spend more on defense and faster.
He also pointed to progress over the last year, prior to this NATO summit.
“We took in $33 billion more,” Trump said, pointing to increased financial commitments.
Trump insisted that “everybody in that room got along,” referring to NATO allies.
President Trump was just asked directly he was threatening to pull out of NATO.
A reporter asked: “Are you still threatening to potentially pull the United States out of NATO for any reason, and do you believe you can do that without Congress’s explicit support and approval?
Here’s what Trump said:
President Trump, speaking at a press conference after the NATO summit, said he would have been “very unhappy” if other NATO member didn’t increase their defense spending.
Trump then added that allies have agreed to increase their spending.
“Everyone has agreed to substantially up their commitment. They’re going to up it at levels that they never thought of before,” Trump said.
Many NATO members were already working to increase their financial commitments in recent years, so it’s unclear what’s new.
“Now we’re very happy,” Trump said
A US official says President Trump isn’t expected to pull out of NATO — but he will again scold countries for not paying their fair share and levy more threats.
But we will hear from him shortly. As always, Trump will make the final call not his advisers.
President Trump is expected to make a statement to the press at the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium.
It follows a tense summit: Trump came out brawling in his first public comments, accusing NATO ally Germany of being “a captive of Russia,” calling members of the alliance “delinquent” in their defense spending and insisting they increase it “immediately.”
US President Donald Trump has been tweeting this morning. He has returned to his theme of complaining about allies’ spending on defense, and expressing dismay at Germany’s energy deal with RUssia.
It could be another interesting day at NATO.
President Donald Trump is returning to NATO headquarters on Thursday after rattling allies with provocative and insulting comments during the summit’s first day.
Some of the closest US allies were still reeling from Trump’s diatribe accusing Germany of being “a captive of Russia” and insistence that “delinquent” allies increase defense spending “immediately.” But the President isn’t likely to face vocal or widespread hostility until later in the day on Thursday, when he heads to London for his first visit to the United Kingdom as President, where mass protests have been organized.
