THE HAGUE: President Donald Trump cast doubt on Tuesday (Jun 24) over the United States’ commitment to defending its NATO partners, suggesting there were “numerous” definitions to the cornerstone of the alliance’s mutual defence clause.
Trump was speaking to reporters en route to a NATO summit in the Netherlands, a two-day gathering which is intended to signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that NATO is united, despite Trump’s past criticism, and determined to expand and upgrade its defences to deter any attack from Moscow.
However, pressed by reporters on Air Force One over whether he remained committed to mutual defence among allies as set out by NATO’s Article 5, Trump responded:
“I’m committed to saving lives. I’m committed to life and safety. And I’m going to give you an exact definition when I get there.”
