On August 5 (local time), according to TASS news agency, US President Donald Trump said that European allies in NATO do not possess strong enough armed forces because they have been dependent on the US for too long.
Speaking at an event in the suburbs of Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Trump continued to criticize the previous administration of former President Joe Biden, saying that this administration has significantly reduced the capabilities of the US military.
Mr. Trump declared that his predecessor administration had "given too much", and reiterated the figure of 350 billion USD that he repeatedly used to refer to the amount of military and financial aid the US has given to Ukraine.
I sell everything. They are willing to pay. Europeans have a lot of money," Trump said, implying that allies should buy US weapons instead of relying on support from Washington.
The US President also said that the over-reliance of European countries on the US has weakened their defense capabilities.
They do not have a strong military force because they have relied on us for too long. I told them that you cannot continue like this," he emphasized.
For many years, Mr. Trump has repeatedly called on NATO members to increase defense spending and share more of the security burden with the US. He has repeatedly warned Washington not to continue to bear most of the security costs for Europe if its allies do not increase investment in the military.
Mr. Trump's latest statement was made in the context that many European countries are increasing defense budgets after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out. NATO has also continuously urged member countries to increase military spending to strengthen the coalition's deterrence and defense capabilities.
However, Mr. Trump still believes that Europe needs to take on more responsibility for its own security, instead of continuing to depend on US military power as in decades.
