Donald Trump said that he may or may not come to the defense of a NATO ally if it were attacked. Never mind the treaty commitment that an attack upon one is an attack upon all. He said that the US action would depend on whether or not the country “fulfilled their obligations to us.”
He was referring specifically to what he would do if one of the Baltic Republics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) were invaded by Russia.
Remember that Trump and Vladimir Putin have something of a mutual admiration society. What would the international scene be like if the United States allies itself with Russia, instead of Western Europe?
From Donald Trump Sets Conditions for Defending NATO Allies Against Attack – The New York Times:
Donald J. Trump, on the eve of accepting the Republican nomination for president, explicitly raised new questions on Wednesday about his commitment to automatically defending NATO allies if they are attacked, saying he would first look at their contributions to the alliance.
Asked about Russia’s threatening activities, which have unnerved the small Baltic States that are among the more recent entrants into NATO, Mr. Trump said that if Russia attacked them, he would decide whether to come to their aid only after reviewing if those nations have “fulfilled their obligations to us.”
“If they fulfill their obligations to us,” he added, “the answer is yes.”
Mr. Trump’s statement appeared to be the first time that a major candidate for president had suggested conditioning the United States’ defense of its major allies. It was consistent, however, with his previous threat to withdraw American forces from Europe and Asia if those allies fail to pay more for American protection.
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