U.S. President Donald Trump has once again reinforced his stance on NATO defense spending, stating that member states must increase their financial contributions or risk losing U.S. military protection.
His comments came in response to French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently suggested that France could extend its nuclear umbrella to its European partners and emphasized the need for increased defense spending.
“It’s common sense and fair—if they don’t pay, I won’t protect them,” Trump stated, doubling down on his demand that European NATO members meet their financial obligations.
U.S. Role in NATO and Ukraine Crisis
Trump also addressed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, revealing that the U.S. has made significant progress in negotiations with both Ukraine and Russia in the past two days.
“We have made a lot of progress with Ukraine and a lot of progress with Russia, and it would be good to bring this to an end so that we don’t have to talk about nuclear bombs,” he said.
Additionally, when asked about reports that the temporary legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. might be revoked, Trump stated:
“We don’t want to harm them, especially Ukrainians—they have been through a lot.”
His remarks highlight the shifting dynamics within NATO and the potential impact on U.S. support for European security.
