Of all the ignorant and misinformed things Donald Trump has tweeted, Monday’s tweets may be the worst and the most dangerous of them all. Trump’s alliance to Russia and President Vladimir Putin has never been more evident than in the U.S. president’s attacks on American allies in NATO.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 to guarantee our allies’ aid in any attacks from Russia or a “resurgence” in Germany. Its purpose is to ensure that every country who is part of the treaty will come to the defense of one another in the face of a threat.
Unsurprisingly, Putin is vehemently opposed to NATO. As Trump prepares to meet with Putin (alone, with no Americans present), and Trump’s growing verbal attacks on our allied countries, world leaders are growing more and more concerned, and with good reason.
According to Bloomberg:
‘America’s partners are particularly concerned about a surprise Trump giveaway during his meeting with Putin: announcing a withdrawal of significant Americans troops from Europe, cutting defense funds to U.S. European Command, or stopping exercises with NATO’s easternmost members, which Russia protests as “provocative.” And given the script he is executing with North Korea — including a pause on military exercises with South Korea that apparently blindsided not only Seoul but also Secretary of Defense James Mattis — these fears would appear very justified.’
Trump’s rants about NATO spending, which is nowhere near 90 percent of NATO spending overall, feel more like an excuse to withdraw from the organization to appease Putin than any legitimate complaint. Without the U.S., NATO may not survive the Trump presidency.
Twitter was understandably outraged by Trump’s tweets. Read some of their comments below:
Featured image via Getty/Pool
