WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� on Thursday expressed uncertainty that NATO would come to the United States鈥� defense if the country were attacked, though the alliance did just that after Sept. 11 鈥� the only time in its history that the defense guarantee has been invoked.
Trump also suggested that the U.S. might abandon its commitments to the alliance if member countries don't meet defense spending targets, a day after his pick for NATO ambassador that the administration's commitment to the military alliance was 鈥渋ronclad.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 comments denigrating NATO, which was formed to counter Soviet aggression during the Cold War, are largely in line with his yearslong criticism of the alliance, which he has accused of toward the cost of defense. But they come at a time of heightened concern in the Western world over Trump鈥檚 cozy relationship with , who has long seen NATO as a threat, and as the U.S. president into agreeing to a peace deal with the country that invaded it three years ago.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month when he said in a speech that the U.S. would not participate in any peacekeeping force in Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, and would not defend any country that participated in it if attacked by Russia.
Trump said Thursday in the Oval Office that other countries would not come to the defense of the U.S. 鈥� though they have done exactly that, in the only instance that the Article 5 defense guarantee was invoked.
鈥淵ou know the biggest problem I have with NATO? I really, I mean, I know the guys very well. They鈥檙e friends of mine. But if the United States was in trouble, and we called them, we said, 鈥榃e got a problem, France. We got a problem, couple of others I won鈥檛 mention.' Do you think they鈥檙e going to come and protect us? They鈥檙e supposed to. I鈥檓 not so sure.鈥�
Article 5 was invoked after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, leading to NATO鈥檚 largest operation in Afghanistan. France鈥檚 military participated in the operation.
"We are loyal and faithful allies,鈥� French President Emmanuel Macron responded Thursday, expressing 鈥渞espect and friendship鈥� towards U.S. leaders.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e entitled to expect the same,鈥� he said.
Macron invoked 鈥渃enturies-old history," namechecking the Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, who was a major-general in the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and Gen. John Pershing, commander of the American army in France during World War I. Macron added that a few days ago, he met American World War II veterans who landed on Omaha Beach as part of the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France.
France and the U.S. 鈥渉ave always been there for each other,鈥� Macron said.
Trump, when asked Thursday if it he was making it U.S. policy that the U.S. would not defend NATO countries that don鈥檛 meet military spending targets, said: 鈥淲ell, I think it鈥檚 common sense, right? If they don鈥檛 pay, I鈥檓 not going to defend them. No, I鈥檓 not going to defend them.鈥�
Trump has suggested since his 2016 presidential campaign that the U.S. under his leadership might not comply with the alliance鈥檚 mutual defense guarantees and would only defend countries that met targets to commit 2% of their gross domestic products on military spending.
The U.S. is the most powerful nation of the seven-decade alliance, has the largest economy among members and spends more on defense than any other member.
The U.S. was one of 12 nations that formed NATO following World War II to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union to Western Europe during the Cold War. Its membership has since grown to 32 countries, and its bedrock mutual defense guarantee, known as Article 5, states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Trump on Thursday also seemed to suggest the U.S. commitment to NATO might be leveraged in his trade war as he seeks to target what he says are unfair trade policies with other nations, .
鈥淚 view NATO as potentially good, but you鈥檝e got to get, you鈥檝e got to get some good thinking in NATO. It鈥檚 very unfair, what鈥檚 been happening," Trump said. 鈥淯ntil I came along, we were paying close to 100% of NATO. So think of it, we鈥檙e paying 100% of their military, and they鈥檙e screwing us on trade.鈥�
On Wednesday, Trump鈥檚 choice for NATO ambassador, Matt Whitaker, said at his confirmation hearing that in regards to the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance and specifically Article 5, 鈥渋t will be ironclad.鈥�
Last year, NATO鈥檚 Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said a record 23 of NATO鈥檚 32 member nations had hit the military alliance鈥檚 defense spending target.
Trump has taken credit for countries meeting those targets because of his threats, and Stoltenberg himself has said Trump was responsible for getting other nations to increase their spending.
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Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Brussels contributed to this report.
Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
