Stoltenberg: US will not withdraw from NATO despite Trump

Stoltenberg: US will not withdraw from NATO despite Trump

Kyiv  •  UNN

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Despite Donald Trump's previous threats, the United States will not withdraw from NATO, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said

The United States will not withdraw from NATO, regardless of the results of this year's elections and despite Donald Trump's threats to withdraw from the military alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with Bloomberg on January 16, UNN reports.

The United States will remain a loyal and important ally, because it is in the security interests of the United States to have more than 30 friends and allies

- Stoltenberg said.

"That's something that China and Russia don't have - it makes the United States safer and stronger," Stoltenberg added.

According to the NATO Secretary General, Trump never mentioned to Stoltenberg in past meetings that the United States would never help Europe if it were attacked. European Commissioner Thierry Breton said last week that at a meeting with Trump in Davos in 2020, the former president said that the United States would never come to Europe's aid if it were attacked.

Instead, according to Stoltenberg, Trump's main complaint against him was that European allies were not spending enough on defense. Allies in the region are now increasing that spending, "so we have a good story about burden sharing," he added.

Addendum

The comments came amid concerns among NATO officials, especially in Europe, that Trump could return to the White House after Iowa voters secured his victory in the Republican caucuses on Monday.

The former president threatened to withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.