NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warns that Europe should not fall into the trap of creating a “self-fulfilling prophecy” that NATO will die under Donald Trump's second presidency and that transatlantic ties will come to an end.
He said this in an interview with The Guardian, according to Yevropeiska Pravda.
Stoltenberg said that leaders should interact with Donald Trump in the same way they did in 2016, regardless of the rhetoric during the US election campaign.
“I worked with him (Trump - Ed.) for four years,” he said.
Asked whether he thought Trump had changed since his presidency ended in 2020, Stoltenberg said he could not answer.
“I think it's important not to create self-fulfilling prophecies by assuming that a new administration in the United States will mean the end of NATO. That was a concern in 2016. The reality is that NATO is stronger after four years ... more troops, higher readiness,” Stoltenberg emphasized.-
The Secretary General added that he remains optimistic about NATO's future.
“The reason why I expect the United States to remain a strong ally ... is that the main criticism from President Trump, as well as from Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance, was not directed primarily against NATO. It was directed at the fact that NATO allies are not spending enough on defense, and that is changing,” he said.-
Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 19/07/2024