Taichiliberal (07-13-2018)
NATO leaders pledged their “unwavering commitment” to boost defense spending on Wednesday, following stern words from President Trump criticizing European leaders for spending too little.
The U.S. and European allies signed a declaration stating they are “committed to improving the balance of sharing the costs and responsibilities of alliance membership.”
The declaration comes after confrontational and testy discussions between Trump and other NATO leaders.
Since the election, Trump has criticized NATO countries for not paying their fair share, while suggesting he would only come to the defense of NATO nations that fulfilled their financial obligation.
Trump also has pressed NATO countries to fulfill their goal of spending 2 percent of their gross domestic products on defense by 2024. NATO estimates that 15 members, or just over half, will meet that benchmark based on current trends.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...ls-summit.html
Taichiliberal (07-13-2018)
countryboy (07-11-2018), Irish (07-12-2018), Stretch (07-11-2018), Truth Detector (07-12-2018)
I wish they were talking about ways to reduce confrontation with Russia - that's the best costs relief.
But something is better then nothing
Cancel 2018.1 (07-12-2018)
Truth Detector (07-12-2018)
NATO countries have a deal to achieve those levels by 2024. Some have already reached it. Others are well on their way.. That is why Trump decided on 4 percent. He is dangling a carrot . He will never be satisfied until NATO is dead.. Even the coward Repubs in the senate are getting shocked by Trump. They had a voite backing NATO yesterday. it was 97 to 2.
NATO fought with American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. They still are.
Last edited by Nordberg; 07-11-2018 at 11:21 AM.
cancel2 2022 (07-11-2018)
I am not accepting the Trump boot lickers at "Fox" as a reliable news source.
Trump, the GOP, and you - BY CHOICE - decided to embark on the most massive military buildup of this generation. At the expense of trying to cut almost everything else in the federal budget, including deferring critically necessary infrastructure upgrades and expansion.
Massive military build up, aka arms race? Your Choice. Don't expect Trudeau or other world leaders to feel like that have to follow Dump's lead and act like a petulant, wannabe, Latin American generalissimo.
cancel2 2022 (07-12-2018)
Phantasmal (07-11-2018), TrippyHippy (07-12-2018)
You are such a whiny individual, they committed way back in 2006 to increase spending to 2%!!
https://www.nato.int/docu/speech/2006/s060608m.htm
Truth Detector (07-11-2018)
Irony for Liberals; Obama said the same thing.
Obama tells 'complacent' Europe to hike military spending
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...tary-spending/
Is Barack Obama right to criticise Nato's free riders? Of course he is
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...s-course-he-is
"When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
A lie doesn't become the truth, wrong doesn't become right, and evil doesn't become good just because it is accepted by a majority.
Author: Booker T. Washington
cancel2 2022 (07-12-2018), United76America (07-12-2018)
BRUSSELS, Belgium (ABC News) -- President Donald Trump came out swinging ahead of today’s NATO summit by slamming Germany for not spending enough on defense and accusing the country of being “captive” to Russia.
“Germany is totally controlled by Russia,” Trump said in a searing critique of Germany’s gas pipeline deal with the country NATO calls its greatest threat to their alliance.
“I think it's very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia where -- we're supposed to be guarding against Russia and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia," Trump said.
“So we’re protecting Germany, we’re protecting France, we’re protecting all of these countries and then numerous of these countries go out and make a pipeline deal with Russia where they’re paying billions of dollars into the coffers of Russia,” Trump said. “So we’re supposed to protect you against Russia, but they’re paying billions of dollars to Russia. I think that’s very inappropriate.”
Trump was referring to the controversial $12 billion proposed Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany.
In a stunning back and forth at Wednesday morning’s bilateral breakfast at the ambassador’s residence in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg defended NATO’s alliance as Trump continued to lob attacks on Germany.
“You know, NATO is the alliance of 29 nations, there's some disagreements,” Stoltenberg said. “And gas from Russia to Germany is where the allies disagree. Despite the differences, we've always been able to protect and to defend each other. We're stronger together than apart. Two World Wars and the Cold War showed we are stronger together than apart.”
But Trump wasn’t buying it.
“How can you be together when a country is getting its energy from the person you want protection against or from the group that you want protection against?” Trump asked.
“When we stand together, also in dealing with Russia, we are stronger,” Stoltenberg replied.
“You're just making Russia richer. You're not dealing with Russia, you're making Russia richer,” Trump said.
“We're supposed to protect Germany but they're getting their energy from Russia. Explain that. And it can't be explained,” Trump said.
“This has been brought up by other presidents. But other presidents never did anything about it because I don't think they’d up it or wanted to get involved,” Trump said. “I have to bring it up because it's unfair to our country or our taxpayers. I think these countries have to step it up, not over a 10-year period, but immediately.”
Trump has called on allied countries to meet or exceed the 2014 Wales summit goal of spending 2 percent GDP on defense spending. According to a NATO report released yesterday, eight of the 29 member nations are expected to reach that goal by the end of 2018.
As cameras left the room, Trump assured reporters his tough tone will encourage NATO members to pony up: "I have great confidence they'll spend more."
***********************
Barbara Stark(?) from CNN at small gathering for Q&A kept trying to goad Stoltenberg into demeaning Trump with her 'leading' questions, but he didn't buy into it. He defended Trump by saying "he is a direct and plain speaker." Big interview fail for Babs, LOL.
Trump's calling out Merkel for a DIRECT pipeline from Russia in a sweetheart deal
Also at the breakfast, even the NATO Sec. General Stoltenberg commended Trump's leadership in getting countries to cough up more $$$$$.
MAGA Go Trump baby...go Trump baby...go Trump baby!
Abortion rights dogma can obscure human reason & harden the human heart so much that the same person who feels
empathy for animal suffering can lack compassion for unborn children who experience lethal violence and excruciating
pain in abortion.
Unborn animals are protected in their nesting places, humans are not. To abort something is to end something
which has begun. To abort life is to end it.
PostmodernProphet (07-13-2018)
You are such uninformed poster. It was the deal. They are on course. They are honoring the deal and Trump is slapping them in the face.
One point of NATO is to fight the dangers of nationalism. Germany started 2 world wars in a century. Now, with NATO helping, they are a member of the world nations and peaceful. Germany is not a threat. Russia is. This tiny percentage that trump is crying about in meaningless. I was amazed to think people were stupid enough to think it made sense. But apparently they bought that made up Trump crap. NATO is fighting with us in Afghaniistan right now. They came to our side helping after 911.
Nationalism is a threat to the world and Trump is one of its biggesy proponents. This Trump noise in not benign.
I knew the Repubs were after building a new world order. I just did not realize it was Russia and USA against the world,
cancel2 2022 (07-12-2018)
Nomad (07-12-2018)
Nomad (07-12-2018)
anatta (07-11-2018)
Abortion rights dogma can obscure human reason & harden the human heart so much that the same person who feels
empathy for animal suffering can lack compassion for unborn children who experience lethal violence and excruciating
pain in abortion.
Unborn animals are protected in their nesting places, humans are not. To abort something is to end something
which has begun. To abort life is to end it.
anatta (07-11-2018)
Trump want the NATO countries to spend 4% of GDP on defense, that's not going to happen, we don't spend that? 2% is all the NATO countries are going to spend! Trump is really uncouth when on the world stage too?!!
christiefan915 (07-11-2018), Nomad (07-12-2018)
which is why i tend to take these statements much like Chinese promises to hear our concerns on trade barriers.
They always say they are going to improve -they do not.
we'll see.The U.S. and European allies signed a declaration stating they are “committed to improving the balance of sharing the costs and responsibilities of alliance membership.”
The declaration comes after confrontational and testy discussions between Trump and other NATO leaders.
Kissinger: “demonization of Vladimir Putin is not a policy; it is an alibi for the absence of one.”
________
Cold War 2.0 Russia hysteria is turning people’s brains into guacamole.
We’ve got to find a way to snap out of the propaganda trance
________
Buddha: "trust the person who seeks truth and mistrust the person who claims he has found it "
1.2.3.4.5.6.7. All Good Children Go to Heaven
Truth Detector (07-12-2018)
what a crazy situation when pipelines are geopolitical statements of alliance. even Germany agrees Nordstream is political as well as economic.
Then there is the competing pipeline interests of eastern Europe (bypassed by Nordstream) and Nordstream
Truth Detector (07-12-2018)
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