File photo: US President Donald Trump (Picture credit: AP)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Nato allies sharply increased their defence spending only after his intervention, while also asserting that Russia and China do not fear the military alliance without the United States.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Nato countries were earlier spending around 2 per cent of their GDP on defence and that many members were “not paying their bills” until he stepped in. He claimed he pushed allies to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP and said they now pay “immediately”. Trump added that many had doubted such a shift was possible, but argued it happened because of his personal relationships with allied leaders. The US President also made strong claims about global conflicts, saying Russia would have “all of Ukraine right now” without his involvement. He further stated that he had “single-handedly ended” eight wars and said his actions had saved millions of lives.Trump criticised Nato’s overall strength, arguing that Russia and China have “zero fear” of the alliance without US backing.He also expressed doubt over whether Nato countries would support the United States in a crisis, while reiterating that Washington would continue to stand by the alliance regardless. Referring to his first term in office, Trump said he rebuilt the US military and claimed that this remains a key reason adversaries fear and respect the United States. He also took a swipe at Norway, a Nato member, for not awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, though he added that recognition did not matter to him.Trump ended the post by saying the only country Russia and China fear is what he described as the “DJT rebuilt” United States, closing with his campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
