US President Donald Trump has put forward a resonant initiative to involve NATO troops in guarding the American border with Mexico, citing Article 5 on collective defense. Returning from Davos, he criticized European allies for insufficient contributions to the Alliance and questioned their role in past joint operations. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
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In his social media post, Trump proposed testing the Alliance's validity by forcing its forces to counter an "invasion" of illegal migrants. According to the president, this would free up American border guards for other tasks.
Perhaps we should have tested NATO: invoked Article 5 and made NATO come here and protect our southern border from further invasions of illegal immigrants, thereby freeing up a large number of border patrol agents for other tasks
Scandal surrounding Afghanistan and Britain's reaction
In addition to the border issue, Trump provoked a diplomatic scandal in London, stating that during the war in Afghanistan, allies "stayed a little aside, a little behind the front line." These words caused a wave of indignation among British politicians and veterans, who recalled the 457 British servicemen killed in this conflict.
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How dare he question their sacrifice
Labour MP Emily Thornberry called Trump's comments an "absolute insult" to the nations that supported the US after the 9/11 attacks.
Greenland and the future of the Alliance
Similar pressure on partners is observed regarding Greenland. Trump hinted that European NATO members might not respond to a US call for help in the future if Washington does not receive the desired strategic preferences in the Arctic. Despite the recent "framework agreement" with Mark Rutte, the president continues the rhetoric that NATO is a "one-sided agreement" that is currently unfavorable for the United States.