It is in the United States’ interest to keep the NATO military alliance strong, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says.
Stoltenberg made the remarks to reporters in Belgium on Wednesday, days after U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said he would “encourage” Russia to attack members who miss their spending targets.
“The United States have never fought a war alone. From the Korean War to Afghanistan, NATO allies have been fighting shoulder by shoulder with U.S. soldiers, and we have to remember that the only time we invoked Article 5 was after … 9/11, and hundreds of thousands of Canadian and European troops served in Afghanistan to protect the United States, and many of them paid the ultimate price.”
On Saturday, the former U.S. president said he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies who don’t pay their bills. NATO has been a key ally to Ukraine as it continues to defend itself from Moscow’s nearly two-year-old full-scale invasion.
That would include Canada, which has for years fallen short of hitting the agreed upon target to spend two per cent of GDP on defence, as have other members.
“Well sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia — will you protect us?” Trump quoted an unnamed leader as saying during a conversation with him.
“I said: ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said: ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay,” Trump said.
His comments have trigged criticism by some allies, but Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly stopped short of directly responding to him when asked earlier this week.
Joly said NATO was “united than ever before,” but acknowledged a need to do more.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was more blunt, blasting Trump for comments he called “irresponsible and dangerous,” as fears deepen that Trump’s possible return to the White House could allow Russia to expand its aggression beyond Ukraine.
“No one can play, or ‘deal,’ with Europe’s security,” Scholz added.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden called Trump’s NATO comments “appalling.”
Trump has often lamented other members are not pulling their weight.
A leaked Pentagon assessment obtained by the Washington Post last April said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told NATO officials Canada would never meet the alliance’s target.
While Trudeau and Trump had a frosty relationship the last time he was in office, Joly insists Canada will be prepared if Trump is re-elected.
“You’ll always hear me saying the same thing, which is essentially the American people will decide. Meanwhile, we’ll be ready for their choice. We’ve been able to manage two types of administration in the White House,” she said.
Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s office, said on Monday a Poilievre government would “restore Canada as a reliable partner to our NATO allies.”
Stoltenberg told reporters Wednesday it is key no nation should undermine the credibility of NATO’s deterrence.
“That is both about the capabilities we are investing in, but also how we communicate, because deterrence is in the mind of our adversaries,” he said.
“We should leave no room for miscalculation or misunderstanding in Moscow, about our readiness and our commitment, our resolve to protect our allies. The reason to do so is not to provoke a conflict, but it is to prevent the conflict, as NATO has done successfully for 75 years.”
— with files from Global News’ Touria Izri and Sean Boynton