Washington:
President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he understands Russia’s feelings as NATO looms on the horizon.
“You know, most of the problems have been in Russia for years, long before[Russian President Vladimir]Putin said we could never involve NATO in Ukraine. Now they say, “It’s like it’s written in stone.” Somewhere (US President Joe) Biden said “no,” but Russia has someone right there and their feelings about it. I understand,” President Trump told reporters. Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
“There were a lot of mistakes made in that negotiation. When I heard how Biden negotiated, I said it would end up being a war, and it turned out to be a very bad war. That war It could escalate further, “much worse than it is now,” he said in response to a question.
“My view is that it was always understood. In fact, they made an agreement and I believe Biden broke it. They made an agreement, but it was also important for Ukraine. It would have been a satisfactory agreement for other countries. But Biden said no, you have to be able to join NATO.
“That’s always been the case, and no one knows more about NATO than me. You know, when I first started doing this many years ago, I didn’t know much about NATO, but I got it right anyway,” he said.
Ukraine is currently aiming to join NATO. In 2008, NATO expressed support for Ukraine’s membership in NATO. However, NATO has not yet extended its membership to Ukraine.
President Trump also told reporters that he wants NATO members to contribute 5% of their GDP. “NATO should have 5%,” he said.
“Well, you can’t do it with 2. I mean 2 percent, but if you’re going to have a country and a regular army, 4 percent. I think they’re in dangerous territory.” They can all afford it, but It should be 5%, not 2%, and I was the one who made him pay 2%,” he said.
“They’re using it. I’m the one who got it. And the (NATO) Secretary General came here two weeks ago and said if it wasn’t for me, NATO wouldn’t even exist now. “Because I raised it,” from the countries that weren’t paying their bills, 28 countries at the time, 20 of them, 21 to be exact.” he insisted.
“They didn’t pay, or they only paid a small portion, so I raised over $680 billion. That’s saying, if you don’t pay, we’re not going to protect you. That was the number he gave. As soon as I said it, the money started flowing in. But Obama might have said it, other people might have said it, Bush and nobody else. I couldn’t have said that,” he said.
“They said that was a threatening statement. Well, they weren’t paying their bills. I said, ‘If you don’t pay your bills, we’re not going to protect you guys.’ So, in a real sense, I saved NATO, but NATO has taken advantage of us, and one of the problems I have is that I have publicly spoken to President Zelensky. That’s what I said,” President Trump said.
“Europe is receiving only a fraction of the money that we are in. Like it or not, Europe is being affected much more than the United States. Our There is something called the ocean between us. And, you know, they’re a similar size, a little bit smaller, but when you add them up, they’re an economy similar in size to the United States. “That’s only a fraction of the number in the United States,” he said.
“When I said the bills have to be paid, everyone stood up. I won’t say who, but the media didn’t want to report on it because the newspapers would get it. But the prime minister I stood up. Country, you know. Like, at a famous conference of 28 countries with no press, he stood up and said, does that mean we’re not going to pay the bill…I said, if we don’t pay, Do you mean you are delinquent? He said, yeah, you’re a delinquent, we’re not going to protect you,” President Trump said.
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