Potus @ nato

[superbeets]

Revealed, the NATO freeloaders: Why Trump is so infuriated by countries spending less than half their fair share on European defence (and we should be too)

• NATO has set its members a target of spending 2% of GDP on defence
• France, Germany, Canada and Latvia among countries not meeting target
• Trump had earlier suggested US would think twice about coming to the aid of nations who do not meet the recommended spend

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Data has revealed the NATO countries who are not spending enough on defence to warrant Donald Trump using US forces to protect them from an attack.
The President elect caused alarm during his election campaign by suggesting Washington would think twice about coming to the aid of an endangered NATO ally if it had not paid its dues.
The alliance has set a target for its members of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence - but the likes of France, Germany and Canada are among more than 20 members not meeting the objective, figures show.

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Data has revealed the NATO countries not spending enough on defence to warrant Donald Trump using US forces to protect them from an attack

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The alliance has set a target for its members of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence - but the likes of France, Germany and Canada are among more than 20 members not meeting the objective, figures show

Even Eastern European NATO members Latvia - bordering Russia - and neighbouring Lithuania are projected to spend less than the target level in 2016.
Slovakia and Hungary - both bordering Ukraine - do not meet the 2 per cent recommendation either, according to defenseone.


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Melania Trump changed into an off-the-shoulder, black lace gown to meet Queen Mathilde of Belgium at the Royal Castle of Laeken on Thursday evening after spending the afternoon at the Magritte Museum in Brussels with other NATO spouses

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At the palace, Melania posed for photos with (first row from left to right) First Lady of France Brigitte Macron, First Lady of Turkey Emine Gulbaran Erdogan, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Jens Stoltenberg's partner Ingrid Schulerud, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev's partner Desislava Radeva, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel's partner Amelie Derbaudrenghien (back row left to right) First Gentleman of Luxembourg Gauthier Destenay, partner of Slovenia's Prime Minister Cerar's wife Mojca Stropnik and First Lady of Iceland Thora Margret Baldvinsdottir

 

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+48

Melania smiled while posing next to Queen Mathilde as Gauthier Desteney, the husband of Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, stood behind them

 

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[FONT=&quot]WATCH: President Trump BLASTS Leaders @ NATO, Tells Them They Need to Pay Their Share (FULL SPEECH)[/FONT]

 

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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 25, 2017​

Remarks by President Trump at NATO Unveiling of the Article 5 and Berlin Wall Memorials - Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters
Brussels, Belgium​

4:39 P.M. CEST



PRESIDENT TRUMP:


Thank you very much, Secretary General Stoltenberg. Chancellor Merkel, thank you very much. Other heads of state and government, I am honored to be here with members of an alliance that has promoted safety and peace across the world.



Prime Minister May, all of the nations here today grieve with you and stand with you. I would like to ask that we now observe a moment of silence for the victims and families of the savage attack which took place in Manchester. (A moment of silence is observed.) Thank you. Terrible thing.


This ceremony is a day for both remembrance and resolve. We remember and mourn those nearly 3,000 innocent people who were brutally murdered by terrorists on September 11th, 2001. Our NATO allies responded swiftly and decisively, invoking for the first time in its history the Article 5 collective defense commitments.



The recent attack on Manchester in the United Kingdom demonstrates the depths of the evil we face with terrorism. Innocent little girls and so many others were horribly murdered and badly injured while attending a concert -- beautiful lives with so much great potential torn from their families forever and ever. It was a barbaric and vicious attack upon our civilization.

All people who cherish life must unite in finding, exposing, and removing these killers and extremists -- and, yes, losers. They are losers. Wherever they exist in our societies, we must drive them out and never, ever let them back in.


This call for driving out terrorism is a message I took to a historic gathering of Arab and Muslim leaders across the region, hosted by Saudi Arabia. There, I spent much time with King Salman, a wise man who wants to see things get much better rapidly. The leaders of the Middle East have agreed at this unprecedented meeting to stop funding the radical ideology that leads to this horrible terrorism all over the globe.


My travels and meetings have given me renewed hope that nations of many faiths can unite to defeat terrorism, a common threat to all of humanity. Terrorism must be stopped in its tracks, or the horror you saw in Manchester and so many other places will continue forever. You have thousands and thousands of people pouring into our various countries and spreading throughout, and in many cases, we have no idea who they are. We must be tough. We must be strong. And we must be vigilant.

 

[superbeets]

[FONT=&quot]The NATO of the future must include a great focus on terrorism and immigration, as well as threats from Russia and on NATO’s eastern and southern borders.


These grave security concerns are the same reason that I have been very, very direct with Secretary Stoltenberg and members of the Alliance in saying that [/FONT][FONT=&quot]NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations, for 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they’re supposed to be paying for their defense.





This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]

And many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Over the last eight years, the United States spent more on defense than all other NATO countries combined. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]

If all NATO members had spent just 2 percent of their GDP on defense last year, we would have had another $119 billion for our collective defense and for the financing of additional NATO reserves.




[/FONT][FONT=&quot]We should recognize that with these chronic underpayments and growing threats, even 2 percent of GDP is insufficient to close the gaps in modernizing, readiness, and the size of forces. We have to make up for the many years lost. Two percent is the bare minimum for confronting today’s very real and very vicious threats. If NATO countries made their full and complete contributions, then NATO would be even stronger than it is today, especially from the threat of terrorism. [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

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[FONT=&quot]I want to extend my appreciation to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York for contributing this remnant of the North Tower, as well as to Chancellor Merkel and the German people for donating this portion of the Berlin Wall. It is truly fitting that these two artifacts now reside here so close together at the new NATO Headquarters. And I never asked once what the new NATO Headquarters cost. I refuse to do that. But it is beautiful.




[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Each one marks a pivotal event in the history of this Alliance and in the eternal battle between good and evil. On one side, a testament to the triumph of our ideals over a totalitarian Communist ideology bent on the oppression of millions and millions of people; on the other, a painful reminder of the barbaric evil that still exists in the world and that we must confront and defeat together as a group, as a world.



[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This twisted mass of metal reminds us not only of what we have lost, but also what forever endures -- the courage of our people, the strength of our resolve, and the commitments that bind us together as one.




[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We will never forget the lives that were lost. We will never forsake the friends who stood by our side. And we will never waiver in our determination to defeat terrorism and to achieve lasting security, prosperity and peace.



[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thank you very much. It’s a great honor to be here. Thank you.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]END
4:48 P.M. CEST[/FONT]

 

[superbeets]

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The Prime Minister will tell world leaders at the G7 summit (above, arriving yesterday) that the fight against Islamic State is ‘moving from the battlefield to the internet’. She is said to be infuriated by the feet-dragging of technology firms whose outlets host sick videos, provide a platform for hate preachers and allow the circulation of terror manuals

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As it was revealed that MI5 was managing a staggering 500 active terror investigations, Mrs May will tell leaders at the G7 summit in Sicily today that this week’s atrocity in Manchester (pictured, outside the arena) should mark an end to the softly-softly approach to policing the internet

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While technology firms have already started tackling the threat posed by the spread of extremist material online, sources said Mrs May (above, talking to Donald Trump at the Nato summit) believes they must be required to do ‘much more’ to counter the online threat posed by IS, also known as Daesh

 

[superbeets]

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Theresa May will today urge world leaders to crack down on social media giants that refuse to co-operate on terror