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Trump warns NATO: stop imbalances or it will be goodbye US

The former US president raises the bar on joint spending and promises a hard line on immigration and international aid

Donald Trump has renewed his critical message to NATO, fearing the possibility of a US exit from the Atlantic Alliance if other members do not contribute equally to defence spending. In an interview with Meet the Press, Trump emphasised that the US cannot continue to cover most of the costs while other countries fail to meet their agreements. ‘They have to pay their bills,’ he reiterated, adding that he would be willing to reconsider US membership if they were not treated more fairly.

Already during his first term in office, Trump had urged member countries to reach the minimum contribution of two per cent of GDP for military spending, a target he said not all of them met. His vision for the future of NATO seems to be directed towards a more balanced model, but it remains to be seen how the European allies will react.

Trump’s return to the international scene will also have repercussions on the war between Ukraine and Russia. During a meeting in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump hinted that he might reduce military aid to Kiev. ‘It’s possible. Yes, probably, sure,’ he said, raising concerns about the stability of US commitments in Eastern Europe.

At the same time, on the domestic front, Trump outlined an aggressive programme against illegal immigration, aiming to deport millions of illegal immigrants. He has also stated that he wants to abolish the right to citizenship by birth, ius soli, calling it ‘ridiculous’, despite being enshrined in the Constitution. Under the proposed plan, families of undocumented immigrants could be deported together, even if their children were born in the US.

These statements mark, as one would assume if the New York tycoon had been elected, a radical shift in American domestic and foreign policy, promising years of profound transformation and social battles to be fought. It remains to be seen how these ideas will materialise once Trump officially returns to office.

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