Trump Says He Gave NATO Allies Warning: Pay In or He’d Urge Russian Aggression – The New York Times

Former President Donald J. Trump said on Saturday that, while president, he told the leaders of NATO countries that he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to countries that had not paid the money they owed to the military alliance.

Mr. Trump did not make clear whether he ever intended to follow through on such a threat or what that would mean for the alliance, but his comment at a campaign event in South Carolina a variation of one he has made before to highlight his negotiation skills is likely to cause concern among NATO member states, which are already very nervous about the prospect of a Trump return.

Mr. Trumps suggestion that he would encourage Russian aggression against allies of the United States for any reason comes as Republicans in Congress have pushed back against more aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia, and as European officials have expressed concerns over possible Russian aggression on NATOs Eastern side.

Russias president, Vladimir Putin, dismissed those warnings as threat mongering" in an interview with Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, that aired on Thursday. We have no interest in Poland, Latvia or anywhere else, Mr. Putin said.

But he has also called on the United States to make an agreement to end the war in Ukraine by ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia, comments that were seen by some as an appeal to American conservatives to block further involvement in the war.

Some European officials and foreign policy experts have said they are concerned that Russia could invade a NATO nation after its war with Ukraine concludes, fears that they say are heightened by the possibility of Mr. Trump returning to the presidency.

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Trump Says He Gave NATO Allies Warning: Pay In or He'd Urge Russian Aggression - The New York Times