Winning before winning
Posted on 02/13/2024 5:54:28 PM PST by NoLibZone
NATO is expected to announce Wednesday that a majority of its members are set to hit their defense spending goals for 2024, days after former President Donald Trump told those who don’t pay their share that he wouldn’t protect them if re-elected.
It is estimated that 18 of the 31 NATO members will hit their minimum goal of spending 2% of total gross domestic product on defense budgets for 2024, compared to roughly one-third of the alliance who hit that goal in 2023, according to three alliance officials who spoke to The Financial Times.
Trump warned in a speech on Saturday that he would tell Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to members if they don’t pay their share, should he win a second term.
“NATO expects about two-thirds of allies to hit 2% in 2024,” an alliance official told the Financial Times.
Trump has long had issues with NATO members and their failure to meet the spending goal, feeling that the U.S. was footing too much of the bill. The U.S. is the largest financial backer of NATO, according to The Washington Post.
Donald Trump has said he would ‘encourage’ Russia to attack any Nato member that fails to pay its bills. https://t.co/skp3jzdZXT pic.twitter.com/Z2dh30u400
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 11, 2024 EU officials say that NATO members are working to hit their targets once more in preparation for a second Trump presidency, according to the Times. NATO members will also try to put importance on issues Trump finds the most pressing – such as China and terrorist threats – and win over his good graces.
“There’s a lot of talk about [Trump]… What is the best way to handle a future President Trump?” one senior NATO diplomat said, according to the Times. “Basically a combination of flattery and a firm hand.” “You can’t worry about the rhetoric too much, but instead focus on the points being made and make sure you give credit to Trump if and when he is right,” former NATO chief spokesperson Oana Lungescu said, according to the Times.
Roughly two-thirds of NATO members missed their defense spending targets in 2023, according to the Post.
“NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump said at the rally. “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.” “One of the presidents of a big country, he stood up, he said: ‘Well sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’ I said, ‘You didn’t pay, you’re delinquent … no I would not protect you, in fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want,” Trump said.
NATO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise
If they expected Brandon to win in November there would be no need for this announcement.
And don't forget, WE, the US, paid to rebuild Europe and didn't get a dime of it back. Just gave it away to them. Meanwhile, our nation looks like crap and theirs are not much more than 70 odd years old. Ours is in a state of chronic decay.
Gets more done out of office then the prior presidents did in it.
Won’t be easy when they are comitting economic suicide via socialism and green de-industrialization.
And LGBTs don’t make good warriors.
Desperate to regain relevancy, they’re even willing to pay up their arrears.
Winning before winning
I get such a kick out of folks who have seen Trump work for
going on nine years now, but still can’t figure it out that
many times he says stuff for effect.
Here we are again, after folks nearly wetting themselves in
recent days. Don’t they ever get tired of looking like the
consummate idiots? Well, NO.
Most of the loud mouthed fools in DC have no idea about negotiation and instead just love to give away other people’s money so corrupt grifters with a little bit of power who will pat them on the head and then grab the money.
What a bunch of freeloaders
Put the remaking deadbeats on probation and give them 6 months before not being supported.
It is fun to watch Trump on the Stump driving strong responses from the White Hut basement.
most recent figures (per World Bank)
Belgium 1.2%
Canada 1.2
Turkey 1.2 (big drop-off in recent years, I don’t get it)
Sweden 1.3 (candidate)
Germany 1.4
Denmark 1.4
Portugal 1.4
Spain 1.5
Hungary 1.5
Netherlands 1.6
Norway 1.6
Italy 1.7
Finland 1.7 (just admitted to NATO)
France 1.9
not all NATO countries listed
Here’s my comment: (1) countries below the mark can immediately help out Ukraine (while building up to the mark); longer run: (2) all front line countries and all Security Council countries should have a mark of 2 percent; (3) I would be o.k. with other countries having a lesser mark such as 1.75 percent as part of a peace settlement for Ukraine. Russia simply isn’t the threat that USSR + Warsaw Pact used to be. If all the NATO countries did their part, our mutual defense would be way more than enough to deter any stupidity from Russia.
Make it 3% and we get out.
Trump deserves some credit here.
Putin deserves more.
It’s like PDJT IS the president.
He gets more done in a few days than LGB does in a year.
.
When the repo man announces he’s on his way, you suddenly cough up the missing loan payments!
And LGBTs don’t make good warriors.<
Trump’s outbursts have had little to do with it. Every country in Europe has been planning to boost their defence budget since the Russian invasion. Poland is now spending more of its gdp per capita on the military than the US.
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