Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would not automatically defend NATO allies if they are attacked, saying he would send military aid to member countries only after reviewing their contributions to the alliance.
The day after being formally crowned the Republican nominee for president, Trump raised doubts about whether he would fulfill NATO obligations that guarantee all 28 member states, including the United States, defend each other militarily should any come under attack.
The New York Times reported:
For example, asked about Russia’s threatening activities that have unnerved the small Baltic States that are among the more recent entrants into NATO, Mr. Trump said that if Russia attacked them, he would decide whether to come to their aid only after reviewing whether those nations "have fulfilled their obligations to us." He added, "If they fulfill their obligations to us, the answer is yes."
He detailed his plan to force allies to bear the costs of a guaranteed U.S. defense, arguing that many have taken advantage of a longstanding American commitment to provide military support to smaller nations. Trump also said he would sever treaties he found unfavorable should he win the White House in November.
The rest of the world will adapt, he said, underscoring that he "would prefer to be able to continue" standing agreements, but only under the condition that allies contribute their own resources to their own defense.
Trump stressed his nationalist foreign policy approach and desire for stability above all else, saying that "he would not pressure Turkey or other authoritarian allies about conducting purges of their political adversaries or cracking down on civil liberties," the New York Times reported.
He said the U.S. has to first "fix our own mess" before intervening abroad.
"I don’t think we have a right to lecture," he said. "Look at what is happening in our country … How are we going to lecture when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?"
Referring to his earlier use of the "America First" slogan, Trump said it was a "brand-new, modern term" that meant the U.S. would "take care of this country first before we worry about everyone else in the world."
Critics of Trump noted after he introduced the term during a foreign policy speech in April that the "America First" slogan was promoted in the early 1940s by those who wanted the U.S. to stay out of World War II and negotiate a peace with German leader Adolf Hitler.