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Trump: I would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want

Trump: I would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want

Posted February. 13, 2024 08:49,   

Updated February. 13, 2024 11:13

한국어

In a declaration that has sent shockwaves around the globe, Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, said 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. Trump, whose presidency was marked by his demands for NATO countries to increase their defense budgets to 2.0% of their GDP, citing their reliance on American military might as a form of security freeloading, has now hinted at a drastic shift if he retakes the reign in U.S. foreign policy that could see the withdrawal of the American security umbrella for allies deemed not to be paying their fair share.

During a campaign rally in South Carolina, Trump recounted an interaction with a leader from a NATO member country, who questioned whether the U.S. would protect them in the event of a Russian attack, even if they hadn't met their defense funding commitments. Trump's response was unequivocal: he would not offer protection and would instead encourage Russia to proceed as it wished.

The response from the international community was swift and severe. NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement condemning Trump's stance, emphasizing that “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.”

The New York Times has raised concerns that a Trump re-election could signal the end of the United States' post-World War II commitment to its allies, a cornerstone of global security for over 80 years. The article also speculated on the potential for historical repeats of conflicts such as the Korean War, stating, “History suggests this could result in more war, not less. When Dean Acheson, the secretary of state, described an American “defensive perimeter” in Asia in 1950 that did not include South Korea, North Korea invaded five months later, starting a bloody war that nonetheless pulled in the United States.”


Hyoun-Soo Kim kimhs@donga.com