At Davos, Trump delivers a blunt message — hits Europe over NATO, Ukraine costs

Davos/Washington: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed America’s traditional allies, European leaders, and NATO member countries, for what he described as relying disproportionately on US military power and financial support while failing to adequately defend their own security interests, even as Washington bears the brunt of the Ukraine war.

“The United States is treated very unfairly by NATO,” Trump told a gathering of European and global leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Switzerland’s Davos, arguing that America has long paid far more than its allies for Europe’s defence. “We give so much and we get so little in return,” he said.

Trump said NATO would not exist in its current form without his leadership. “You wouldn’t have NATO if I didn’t get involved,” he said, claiming he forced alliance members to dramatically increase defence spending after years of non-compliance.

He said most NATO countries had failed to meet even the earlier requirement to spend two per cent of GDP on defence. “They didn’t pay the two, and now they’re paying the five,” Trump said, asserting that he pushed allies to commit to defence spending levels that were previously considered impossible.

The US President questioned whether European allies would respond if the United States were attacked. “We’ll be there for them 100 per cent,” he said. “I’m not sure that they’d be there for us.”

Turning to the war in Ukraine, Trump said the conflict “should have never started” and blamed it on leadership failures following his earlier term. He said Washington has spent enormous sums with little appreciation from Europe.

“Biden had given Ukraine and NATO $350 billion, staggering, some $350 billion,” Trump said, adding that the United States is separated from the conflict by “a big, beautiful ocean.”

“What does the United States get out of all of this work, all of this money, other than death, destruction and massive amounts of cash going to people who don’t appreciate what we do?” he asked.

Trump described the war as a humanitarian catastrophe, citing heavy monthly casualties. “It’s a bloodbath,” he said, adding that tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed in successive months. “These are souls. These are young people.”

He said his primary objective was to end the fighting. “It’s the only reason I’m interested in doing it,” Trump said, adding that he believed both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were willing to negotiate. “I believe I’m dealing with President Putin, and he wants to make a deal. I believe I’m dealing with President Zelensky, and I think he wants to make a deal.”

Trump argued that the war benefits Europe far more than the United States. “I’m helping Europe. I’m helping NATO,” he said, while questioning why Washington continues to shoulder the main burden.

He also accused European nations of exploiting the US economically and militarily for decades. “We’re not going to subsidise the whole world,” Trump said, warning that America would no longer tolerate one-sided arrangements.

Recounting private exchanges with European leaders, Trump said he used the threat of steep tariffs to force compliance. “You’re going to do it fast,” he said he told one leader, warning of tariffs of up to 25 per cent or even 100 per cent on exports.

“This is also national security we’re talking about,” Trump said, adding that without US military protection, many countries would face threats they “wouldn’t believe.”

Trump said America has historically paid for Europe’s safety while receiving nothing in return. “We’ve never gotten anything except we pay for NATO,” he said, adding that this imbalance only changed after he took office.

He warned that US patience has limits. “We’ll be there for them,” Trump said, “but I don’t know that they’d be there for us.”

IANS