NATO leaders fear Trump crisis at key summit

@They largely do. Your problem you believe Trump's lies.

They largely do not. Your problem is you assume that you don’t have any facts to back up your assertions. Only 5 of the 28 countries of NATO are meeting their defense obligations.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.businessinsider.com/nato-share-breakdown-country-2017-2

Greece somehow contributes twice as much per GDP than Germany, Italy, and Canada. Even Obama complained to his Socialist buddies about their penny pinching on defense. At some point Americans will realize that they are being fooled into being more interested in the defense of Europe than Europeans themselves are and will walk away.

PTownsendJuly 9  03:46 pm JST

Putin "will enjoy the NATO summit from the perspective that it embodies further division and fragmentation."

(Trump's following his orders from the Kremlin.

At the PutinTrump meeting, will Putin announce that some of his oligarchs will pay billions for the rights to use the Trump brand name on hotels and resorts in the Russian Federation?

And now that Ivanka's clothing line will be spared from her papa's tariffs, will even more departments stores in the Federation be carrying her brand?)

Here we, go again. pure jealousy of a successful businessman and his daughter.

Because what you can't answer. Last week you stated you didn't understand the NATO finances.

I’m sorry, I never said that.

So what if he does. Pull out of NATO which I think would need the backing of congress.

Yes, but that doesn’t mean that the president can’t push forward and it seems like more and more Republicans backing him think it’s a good idea that he is making a stance against NATO.

Does that also mean he will close down the 50 U.S. military bases across NATO countries and pull the troops back to stateside. I don't think so.

I’m not sure about that, but if he pushes and he gets the backing from Congress, then I’m very sure the Europeans are going to think twice about their own security, most definitely.

You say NATO countries do not want to pay their "fair share" without saying what that actually means.

Again, rhetorical question?

Europe is America's first line of defense against Russia.

Oh, I agree. But that doesn’t mean that America needs allow itself to be taken advantage of.

Donald J Trump’s continues to undermine NATO ... something the Soviet Union, and now Russia, has been doing for decades. DJT is a dangerous embarrassment to the United States of America.

Europe is America's first line of defense against Russia.

HA! Thats a laugh! I think it's the other way around.

Why don’t European countries live up to their obligations to pay for their shared defense?

They largely do. Your problem you believe Trump's lies.

Dear Europe,

Please be patient. Like a very bad oyster, this too shall pass.

If America closed its 50 bases in NATO countries, the savings would be less than $5 billion.

Hmmm. That would pay for the wall in under 4 years. Americans should not pass up that deal.

Why don’t European countries live up to their obligations to pay for their shared defense? They are the same on trade. They want an unequal benefit and live off the generosity of the American people. Time to shift that paradigm on its head. Germany can pay to defend itself against Russia and can stand a few decades of trade deficits with the US.

French and German Governments are not trustworthy allies of United State.

Why should the United State spend more money than these two untrustworthy NATO Allies?

Once they created the EU they no longer needed a NATO. The biggest danger was that one nation who seemed to be aggressive previous 2 wars, Germany. But now Germany too over Europe using money and debt this time so no need for NATO anymore. I hope Trump pulls out totally.

The NATO leaders will not engage with Trump in any way -- they know they can wait till he is GONE!

and just what do you mean by "fair share". How much does America actually paid for the NATO spending budget. Do you have an understanding of NATO finances.

Rhetorical question? Lol

Even the commitment for NATO countries to spend 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024 is only a recommendation and isn't set in stone.

I hope Trump pulls out. Good luck Europe. Oh, wait, they absolutely don’t want that pay your fair share.

They have indeed treated the U.S. like schmucks. That crap is coming to an end.

Trump is doing what's best for America.

I agree, no more mooching! Pay up, pay your fair share.

NATO only exists to support US domination and military (mis)adventures. Without NATO and other so-called allies, the US is a drop in a can. It is time the US was cut loose. NATO is only an instrument of the US. It is time the world stood up to the US and made it clear that its days of domination, its days of dictatorship and intimidation is over. The US has used NATO to further its foreign policy of world domination.

"He accuses European NATO allies of freeloading, telling a rally this week that they had treated the U.S. like "schmucks".

They have indeed treated the U.S. like schmucks. That crap is coming to an end.

Trump is doing what's best for America.

Trump carrying out his assigned mission then going to see his boss in Helsinki for further instructions.

Doing his utmost to destroy NATO and the unity of the EU for the benefit of his Russian masters.

Ultimate mission is to leave the US with no credible allies and a trade war that destroys America and its former allies. Trump is on target and will no doubt receive his reward when his tenure as president is over.

What other plausible explanation could there be for his actions to date?

YuriOtani: "As for China, Japan better making a meaningful peace. The removal of US forces will help."

You're right, Yuri. Pull out the Chinese flag you've got under your bed and get ready to hoist it up. You'll later lament the day the US forces left. But then, you often flip-flop on whether you want them there or not, telling them to go one day then demanding they help when Chinese subs pass through Okinawan space.

Yuri, your analysis is both simplistic and wrong. There is no evidence Trump wants to leave NATO, he is just taking a short sighted and narrow minded commercial view of it and seeking to extract financial gain from it. If you read my post above it is patently obvious that currently Europe is not capable of defending its self. Japan alone is not capable of defending its self against the 2 major potential aggressors China and Russia. Russia may or may not be a failed state but it has a powerful military in which they are continuing to invest and the best way for an autocrat to distract his people from their misery and his failures is to provide them with an “enemy” after all why else spend all that money on the military.

I assume by a meaningful peace with China you mean abject surrender and kowtow to them which is the only meaningful peace Chinea really wants from Japan (they have never forgiven Japan for the atrocities of the Second World War).

Trump wants the USA to leave NATO. The USA being the only country helped by the self defense protocol. He Trump wants to leave NATO, then let them go! Europe and Japan, can defend themselves. Russia is in all sense a failed country. A country of 130 million people. North Korea is a bankrupt people. As for China, Japan better making a meaningful peace. The removal of US forces will help.

Should have made clear the first figure is how many are available

While Trump is a wavering blowhard of a president, he is not the sole or final arbiter of the US government or policy.

All too many of the NATO governments have failed to keep their military forces at an adequate level. As an example Germany’s military is a joke due to decades of underspending, they do not have the spare parts to keep their front line equipment operational. A recent report to the German parliament highlighted how much was not available,

Typhoon jets 39 of 128

Tornado jets 26 of 93

Attack helicopters 12 of 62

Tanks 105 of 224

Frigates 5 of 13

Submarines 0 of 6

Expect lots of praise for Putin, lots of criticisms for our allies.

How an adult person can write such a nonsense about Trump-Putin relations.

If the headline is true, it just shows how wimpy the Nato leaders are.

We'll see if there is an escalation from the G7 meeting and also when he meets the Queen. Either he'll placate himself from them or them from him or if Trump is going to go further into full isolationist mode. Now that he has a yes-men staff we'll know which way it's going to go from this meeting. He'll try to dismantle every association the USA created to avoid future wars. Betting on at least 3 major gaffes to put allies into a tailspin

Putin "will enjoy the NATO summit from the perspective that it embodies further division and fragmentation."

Trump's following his orders from the Kremlin.

At the PutinTrump meeting, will Putin announce that some of his oligarchs will pay billions for the rights to use the Trump brand name on hotels and resorts in the Russian Federation?

And now that Ivanka's clothing line will be spared from her papa's tariffs, will even more departments stores in the Federation be carrying her brand?

Captain Bone Spurs will do everything possible again, be late, talk about things beyond his understanding, agree to a statement at the last minute just like that Merkel photo, then undermine it with a tweet from the toilet of AFO.

All to impress his best bud Putin

NATO is right, it's an association of democracies. When the major contributor is in the pocket of the country they're defending against, they can't back down and will have to stand up against Russia's proxy