A European leader told his colleagues on Saturday that they should stop fixating on former President Donald Trump and get to work to make Europe, including Ukraine, secure.
“We should stop moaning and whining and nagging about Trump,” outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told the Munich Security Conference, according to Reuters.
As president, Trump adopted a tough-love tone with NATO, demanding that governments that were spending far below their promised levels on their own defense start living up to their obligations.
A chart posted by Statista.com shows that the U.S. is paying 3.49 percent of the GDP on defense spending, with Poland and Greece the only other NATO nations spending over 3 percent.
France, for example, spends 1.9 percent of its GDP on defense spending and Germany spends 1.57 percent, the chart showed.
NATO defense spending. Members all agreed to spend 2% of GDP … pic.twitter.com/pwkMcYAaA8
— Abdul Aziz Awan (@AbdulAzizAwan13) February 13, 2024
Rutte said America’s role is “up to the Americans. I’m not an American, I cannot vote in the U.S. We have to work with whoever is on the dance floor.”
Europe’s own self-interest should lead nations to spend more on defense, increase ammunition production and support Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Are world leaders obsessed with Trump?
“And all that whining and moaning about Trump. I hear that constantly over the last couple of days. Let’s stop doing that,” Rutte said.
Rutte has backed Trump’s high-profile efforts to bully Europe into being better able to protect itself.
“Let’s stop moaning and nagging and whining about Trump.”
Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told DW that Western allies should focus on ramping up military capabilities and supporting Ukraine instead of worrying about who will be the next US president. pic.twitter.com/JXVohiR1L3
— DW Politics (@dw_politics) February 17, 2024
“Trump’s main issue was that we were not spending enough,” Rutte told Bloomberg last month. “He was right.”
Trump’s relationship with NATO rocketed back into the news with recent comments Trump made in South Carolina about a conversation he said he had with a NATO nation’s leader, according to Fox News.
“NATO was busted until I came along. I said, ‘Everybody’s gonna pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer,” he said.
Trump is right again… NATO COUNTRIES HAVE TO PAY UP!!!💯 pic.twitter.com/yh3GpXo9gu
— 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋 (@uspolitics123) February 15, 2024
Trump said “one of the presidents of a big country” at one point asked him whether the U.S. would defend the country if invaded by Russia even if they “don’t pay.”
“No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills,” Trump said.
