Posted on 07/11/2018 1:44:10 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
“Germany is totally controlled by Russia … They will be getting between 60 and 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline, and you tell me if that is appropriate because I think its not,” Trump said.
The U.S. president was speaking at a press conference in front of NATO representatives ahead of a two-day summit.
The Trump administration’s policies indicate it views security and trade as intimately linked. And when it comes to the trade balance, no ally will be spared.
Speaking in Brussels, Belgium on the first leg of his European trip, the U.S. president said a flurry of oil and gas deals had given Moscow far too much influence over the continent’s largest economy.
In particular, he singled out the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project as being especially "inappropriate."
“I think it is a very bad thing for NATO and I don’t think it should have happened and I think we have to talk to Germany about it. On top of that, Germany is just paying a little bit over 1 percent (on defense) … And I think that is inappropriate also,” he added. 'An attack on Germany and Russia'
Trump has long criticized Berlin and other NATO allies for “freeriding” on Washington’s defense capabilities. Currently only five of NATO’s 29 member states actually allocate the 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to military spending that they are formally committed to as part of the alliance. Those five are the U.S., the U.K., Greece, Estonia and Poland.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
I love Trump but we’re going on a while now.
Why are they still paying so little towards NATO?
Is it a threat we can’t make because we need to be there?
Do we contribute separately to NATO or is it in our defense budget?
confused.
How does giving less to NATO affect us and them and where?
thanks for any who can answer.
Controlled by Russia? Given that Germany has been ruled for years by an *East* German that’s not a difficult accusation to be believed.
Why are we still in NATO?
Why are we still in NATO?\
Because we did not heed the advice of George Washington.
Maybe it't time to start?
It’s Time For The United States To Stop Funding Other Wealthy Countries’ Defense
NATO made sense at the end of WWII with the rise of the Cold War. Now with the world drifting back to a multi-power world with regional conflicts, etc. much like pre-WWI days. NATO has less & less reason to be maintained in its current form. It should be replaced by maybe two alliance one of Atlantic Shore Western Democratic-Oriented nations, and in central Europe - a central European Western-Oriented/Democratic alliance that includes the Baltic. Such an arrangement would look less threatening to Russia.
With German reunification after World War II, the communist East German STASI completely took over West Germany even though the East Germans were way more poor.
When they moved the capital from Bonn to Berlin, that was a clear sign that the communist were taking over. Ronald Reagan should never have allowed it but we were assured by Helmut Kohl that the Germans would remain allied with America. It was a lie. Instead, the filthy scum bag prick Erich Honecker moved Germany toward the Soviet sphere. They have been pretending to be our allies ever since.
If we quit NATO I don’t think it would matter to the Soviet Union at all.
Date Set for Trump's Military Parade: Here's What to Expect
Saturday, November 10, 2018!
At least until the Israelis get their gas field flowing and for some reason, I don't think Germany being dependent to any great extent on Israel would work out well.
JMHo
Is it just me or does anyone else think damage to the streets isn't the real issue for the scum running DC?
I’m seriously amazed by how much info PDJT
has in his brain at ANY given moment.
The members of NATO pay a share of NATO’s administrative operating costs, but this is not what Trump is talking about. All members made a commitment to pay at least 2% of their GDP on defense, I.e., their defense budgets. It is money they spend on their own military. It is not a contribution of funds to NATO.
President Trump is a once in a thousand years kinda guy, IMO.
It certainly wouldn't upset them if we did.
They're going to wring their hands and weep about the Fedz tearing up their roads if nothing but two Humvees and a platoon of trans-gender infantry march past the reviewing stand in high heels.
So roll the damn tanks, fix the roads so that in the future there's a parade route than can handle heavy equipment with unloading and loading areas at each end tell the DC "home rule" thieves that the whole route is under Federal control again. If they don't like it, riot right where the roads are in great shape for heavy equipment.
DC "home rule" city council is nothing but a criminal scam anyway (the Fedz are about the same now) so at least the citizens of the US should get one good parade route out of it instead of just paying for the hookers and dope the city council hides in their bills to the Federal taxpayer.
I watched the comments. Absolute common sense logic on Trump’s part.
“We pay to defend you from somebody that you’re in an energy business deal with? I don’t think so.”
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I do think he has a great point.
I do not think that we have any business telling any country who they can or cannot do business with.
I do think that this issue allows a decision to remove ourselves from NATO. Which I suspect would be the end game.
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