Washington:
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday mentioned that he understands the Russian feeling with NATO being on their doorstep.
“You understand, an enormous a part of the issue was Russia for a lot of, a few years, lengthy earlier than (Russian President, Vladimir) Putin mentioned, you possibly can by no means have NATO concerned with Ukraine. Now they’ve mentioned … that is been like written in stone. Someplace alongside the road (US President, Joe) Biden mentioned no, they need to be capable of be part of NATO. Nicely, then Russia has anyone proper on their doorstep and I may perceive their feeling about that,” Trump advised reporters at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
“There have been loads of errors made in that negotiation. Once I heard the best way that Biden was negotiating, I mentioned you are going to find yourself in a struggle and it turned out to be a really dangerous struggle. That struggle may escalate to be a lot worse than it’s proper now,” he mentioned in response to a query.
“My view is that it was all the time understood. The truth is, I imagine that that they had a deal after which Biden broke it. That they had a deal which might have been a passable deal to Ukraine and everyone else. However Biden mentioned, no, you could have to have the ability to be part of NATO.
“That is all the time been, and no person is aware of extra about NATO than I. You understand, years in the past once I first began this, I did not know an excessive amount of about NATO, however I obtained it proper anyway,” he mentioned.
Ukraine now needs to be a NATO member. In 2008, NATO had expressed help for Ukraine becoming a member of NATO. Nonetheless, NATO has not but prolonged its membership to Ukraine.
Trump additionally advised reporters that he needs NATO members to contribute 5 per cent of their GDP. “NATO ought to have 5 per cent,” he mentioned.
“Nicely, you possibly can’t do it at two. I imply at two per cent, if you are going to have a rustic and an everyday navy, you are at 4 per cent. I feel they’re in harmful territory. They’ll all afford it, however they need to be at 5 per cent, not two per cent. I am the one which obtained him to pay two per cent,” he mentioned.
“They’re taking benefit. I am the one which obtained, and the (NATO) secretary common was right here two weeks in the past, saying that if it weren’t for me, NATO would not even exist proper now. As a result of I raised, from international locations that weren’t paying their payments, at the moment 28 international locations, 20 of them weren’t paying their payments, 21 to be actual,” he asserted.
“They weren’t paying or they have been paying a really small portion, and I raised over USD 680 billion, that was the quantity he gave, by saying, for those who do not pay, we’re not going to guard you. As quickly as I mentioned that, the cash got here pouring in. However Obama may have mentioned it, different individuals may have mentioned it, Bush may have mentioned it. No one mentioned it however me. I took loads of warmth,” he mentioned.
“They mentioned, that is a threatening assertion. Nicely, they weren’t paying their payments. I mentioned we’re not going to guard you for those who’re not paying the payments. So, in a real sense, I saved NATO, however NATO has taken benefit of us. And one of many issues that I’ve, and I’ve mentioned it overtly, I mentioned it to President Zelenskyy,” Trump mentioned.
“Europe is in for a tiny fraction of the cash that we’re in. Now, whether or not you want that scenario or not, Europe is far more affected than america. We’ve a factor known as the ocean in between us. Why are we in for billions and billions of {dollars} more cash than Europe? And you already know, they are a comparable measurement, somewhat smaller, however they are a comparable measurement financial system as america if you add them up. And but Europe is in for a small fraction of the quantity america is in,” he mentioned.
“I mentioned you must pay your payments and so they all — one stood up, I will not say who, you may in all probability have it as a result of the papers — the media hated to report on it. However a main minister stood up from a rustic, you already know, a well-known assembly of 28 nations with no press, he stood up and he says, does that imply if we do not pay our invoice… I mentioned, for those who do not pay, you imply you are delinquent? He mentioned, sure. I mentioned, for those who’re delinquent, we won’t defend you,” Trump mentioned.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
