NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US President Donald Trump’s NATO summit in Brussels unfolded like a three-act play. Throughout it all, Trump deployed the tactics, stagecraft and rhetorical flourish that have come to define his approach to politics and international diplomacy, alternating between insults, threats and praise to whiplash effect. The curtain opened in Brussels with a […]
Category: NATO
7/12/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Great success today at NATO! Billions of additional dollars paid by members since my election. Great spirit!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 12, 2018 12:52 pm […]
7/12/2018
FRANCE/NATO/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected a claim by US President Donald Trump that NATO allies had agreed to increase defense spending ‘at levels that they never thought of before.’ At the end of a two-day NATO summit in Brussels, Macron referred reporters to the communique released Wednesday, which recommitted members of […]
7/12/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @dougmillsnyt: .@realDonaldTrump’s shadow is reflected on the wall as he makes a statement and answers questions as he departs the NATO…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 12, 2018 10:00 am […]
7/12/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Thank you #NATO2018! https://t.co/nk85QBv1u7“ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 12, 2018 9:12 am […]
7/12/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “#NATOSummit2018 Press Conference in Brussels, Belgium: https://t.co/iEOeGV6YBI“ –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 12, 2018 5:57 am […]
7/11/2018
MILITARY/NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Mr. Trump called on other NATO members to more than double their military spending in talks on Wednesday [7-11-18], the White House said, although he and other leaders signed a statement that largely reiterates existing principles and commitments…Still, along with 28 other heads of state, Mr. Trump signed the 23-page NATO declaration, […]
7/11/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker bluntly warned Wednesday [7-11-18] that US influence around the world is ‘diminishing’ and said that President Donald Trump’s comments about NATO have been ‘damaging’ to American leadership in an apparent effort to ‘tear apart’ a critical alliance. Corker has grown increasingly unnerved about Trump’s […]
7/11/2018
GERMANY/NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to hit back at US President Donald Trump’s claim that ‘Germany is a captive of Russia’ by drawing on her own upbringing in Soviet-controlled East Germany. ‘I wanted to say that, because of current events, I have witnessed this myself, that a part of Germany was controlled […]
7/11/2018
FRANCE/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @Scavino45: President @realDonaldTrump and President @EmmanuelMacron of France meeting earlier today at #NATOSummit2018 in Brussels, Bel…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 4:11 pm […]
7/11/2018
GERMANY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @Scavino45: President @realDonaldTrump meets with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, along with their respective delegations at #NATOS…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 4:11 pm […]
7/11/2018
AGRICULTURE/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @realDonaldTrump: I am in Brussels, but always thinking about our farmers. Soy beans fell 50% from 2012 to my election. Farmers have don…” – Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 4:10 pm […]
7/11/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @realDonaldTrump: …things up, better than ever before, but it can’t go too quickly. I am fighting for a level playing field for our fa…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 4:10 pm […]
7/11/2018
NATO/SENATE/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “For the second day in a row, the Senate pushed back on President Donald Trump, showing stiff resistance to his key policy decisions on tariffs and NATO even as the President is at a summit in Europe wrestling with allies over those same issues. Senators voted overwhelmingly Wednesday [7-11-18] calling on Trump […]
7/11/2018
MILITARY/NATO/RUSSIA/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump pressured allies to double their military spending target to 4% of GDP, while questioning NATO’s value and bashing Germany for supporting a major gas deal with Russia. After attacking North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders for months for not meeting a 2% military spending target, Mr. Trump said on Wednesday […]
7/11/2018
EU/GERMANY/NATO/RUSSIA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy? Why are there only 5 out of 29 countries that have met their commitment? The U.S. is paying for Europe’s protection, then loses billions on Trade. Must pay 2% of GDP IMMEDIATELY, not by 2025.” […]
7/11/2018
EU/GERMANY/NATO/RUSSIA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy? Why are their only 5 out of 29 countries that have met their commitment? The U.S. is paying for Europe’s protection, then loses billions on Trade. Must pay 2% of GDP IMMEDIATELY, not by 2025.” […]
7/11/2018
AGRICULTURE/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “…things up, better than ever before, but it can’t go too quickly. I am fighting for a level playing field for our farmers, and will win!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 7:40 am […]
7/11/2018
AGRICULTURE/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I am in Brussels, but always thinking about our farmers. Soy beans fell 50% from 2012 to my election. Farmers have done poorly for 15 years. Other countries’ trade barriers and tariffs have been destroying their businesses. I will open…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 7:40 am […]
7/11/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @realDonaldTrump: Bilateral Breakfast with NATO Secretary General in Brussels, Belgium… https://t.co/l0EP3lzhCM” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 5:37 am […]
7/11/2018
ENERGY/GERMANY/NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @realDonaldTrump: What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy? Why are there only 5 out of 29 c…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 4:11 pm […]
7/11/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Bilateral Breakfast with NATO Secretary General in Brussels, Belgium… https://t.co/l0EP3lzhCM“ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 11, 2018 3:04 am […]
7/10/2018
EU/NATO/RUSSIA/SPENDING/TRADE WARS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump renewed his criticism of European allies on Tuesday [7-10-18] and said he was most optimistic about meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, as he departed for a summit meeting in Brussels that threatens to highlight acrimony within NATO. Mr. Trump’s comments touched off a round of trans-Atlantic […]
7/10/2018
EU/FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump leveled fresh criticism against allies over their military spending as he headed off on seven-day tour through Europe that begins with a NATO gathering and ends with a summit with President Vladimir Putin aimed at resetting U.S. relations with Moscow. The trip will showcase two foreign-policy thrusts of […]
7/10/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Many countries in NATO, which we are expected to defend, are not only short of their current commitment of 2% (which is low), but are also delinquent for many years in payments that have not been made. Will they reimburse the U.S.?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 10, 2018 12:01 pm […]
7/10/2018
FBI/NATO/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I am on Air Force One flying to NATO and hear reports that the FBI lovers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page are getting cold feet on testifying about the Rigged Witch Hunt headed by 13 Angry Democrats and people that worked for Obama for 8 years. Total disgrace!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]
7/10/2018
EU/NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said his easiest meeting on his foreign trip to Europe during the next week may be his sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump spoke to reporters before leaving for the NATO summit in Brussels, the first stop on his trip. He then plans to travel to the […]
7/10/2018
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “NATO countries must pay MORE, the United States must pay LESS. Very Unfair!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 10, 2018 5:42 am […]
7/10/2018
EU/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Behind President Donald Trump’s frequent attacks on European allies is a deeper neglect of the trans-Atlantic relationship: unfilled positions, truncated meetings, missed or crossed signals and confusion over basic policies. Aides to the president insist that Trump’s disputes with Europe are part of a long history of disagreements between leaders who, in […]
7/10/2018
EU/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Getting ready to leave for Europe. First meeting – NATO. The U.S. is spending many times more than any other country in order to protect them. Not fair to the U.S. taxpayer. On top of that we lose $151 Billion on Trade with the European Union. Charge us big Tariffs (& Barriers)!” […]
7/9/2018
EU/GERMANY/NATO/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Donald Trump shortly after he took office, the new U.S. president opened the meeting by telling her, ‘Angela, you owe me one trillion dollars.’ It was his estimate of a 14-year gap between what Germany spent on its own defense and what it had promised to […]
7/9/2018
EU/NATO/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “…Europe far more than it does the U.S. By some accounts, the U.S. is paying for 90% of NATO, with many countries nowhere close to their 2% commitment. On top of this the European Union has a Trade Surplus of $151 Million with the U.S., with big Trade Barriers on U.S. […]
7/9/2018
GERMANY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States is spending far more on NATO than any other Country. This is not fair, nor is it acceptable. While these countries have been increasing their contributions since I took office, they must do much more. Germany is at 1%, the U.S. is at 4%, and NATO benefits…….” -Donald Trump, […]
7/3/2018
MILITARY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is demanding that Norway ramp up its defense spending as a NATO partner, according to a letter he wrote to Prime Minister Erna Solberg that was obtained by CNN. The letter was one of a series that Trump sent to NATO allies, including Germany, Belgium, Canada and others, demanding […]
7/2/2018
NATO/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump has written sharply worded letters to the leaders of several NATO allies — including Germany, Belgium, Norway and Canada — taking them to task for spending too little on their own defense and warning that the United States is losing patience with what he said was their failure to meet […]
6/10/2018
GERMANY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “….Germany pays 1% (slowly) of GDP towards NATO, while we pay 4% of a MUCH larger GDP. Does anybody believe that makes sense? We protect Europe (which is good) at great financial loss, and then get unfairly clobbered on Trade. Change is coming!” – Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 10, 2018 8:42 pm […]
6/10/2018
MILITARY/NATO/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “….And add to that the fact that the U.S. pays close to the entire cost of NATO-protecting many of these same countries that rip us off on Trade (they pay only a fraction of the cost-and laugh!). The European Union had a $151 Billion Surplus-should pay much more for Military!” -Donald […]
6/7/2018
MILITARY/NATO/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U. S. military allies have increased their defense spending by 3.82% over the past year, since President Donald Trump called for more contributions, according to figures released by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Thursday [6-7-18]. The size of national defense budgets was the main irritant at a NATO summit last year and […]
4/27/2018
MIKE POMPEO/NATO/SECRETARY OF STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A day after he was sworn in as secretary of state, Mike Pompeo arrived at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday morning with some words his hosts eagerly wanted to hear as he started a four-day, four-nation trip that will include talks with top allies about Russian aggression and the […]
3/11/2018
MILITARY/NATO/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TURKEY: “The U.S. military has sharply reduced combat operations at Turkey’s Incirlik air base and is considering permanent cutbacks there, according to U.S. officials, a shift they said was driven by tensions between Washington and Ankara. The base was the centerpiece of the U.S.-led fight against Islamic State for several years, but conflicting […]
2/21/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TURKEY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Five months ago, President Donald Trump hailed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a friend and said the two North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies had never been closer. But Mr. Trump’s optimistic view masked a more complicated reality: Turkey quickly has become one of the Trump administration’s most vexing relationships. Relations […]
2/16/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/REX TILLERSON/STATE/TURKEY: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday [2-16-18] said the U.S. and Turkey won’t ‘act alone any longer,’ but the North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies fell short of immediate concrete steps to improve what the top U.S. diplomat described as a ‘crisis point’ in relations. The two countries instead pledged to form […]
2/11/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/SYRIA/TURKEY: “Western diplomats hope to use a high-level gathering of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this week to keep members U.S. and Turkey from going to battle against each other in Syria. They have already come close to direct conflict. Turkey, angered by U.S. support for Syrian Kurdish militants whom Ankara considers terrorists, has […]
2/9/2018
BUDGET/FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATO: “Fewer than half of NATO’s 29 members have made plans to reach the alliance’s military-spending target, according to allied officials. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is expected to announce Tuesday [2-13-18] that European military spending continues to rise. But the overall increase obscures the reality that many allies haven’t adopted plans, as they […]
1/23/2018
NATO/PUTIN/RUSSIA/JOE BIDEN: “I think a basic judgment has been reached that in order for Russia, with all its profound structural difficulties that it has, to be able to sustain itself and for this kleptocracy to continue, there’s—it’s much easier if you’re dealing with 28 different nations not in union with one another, not a Western […]
10/24/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/RUSSIA: “NATO is poised to approve the creation of two new commands to improve allied logistics and protect supply lines, aiming to shore up weaknesses in any potential conflict with Russia, allied officials said. North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense ministers will review a new command structure at their quarterly meeting next month, the officials […]
10/5/2017
BUDGET/NATO/TERRORISM/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. has reached an agreement with holdout France to increase NATO funding for counterterrorism programs, clearing a significant obstacle to the Trump administration’s agenda for the alliance. Under the deal, allied diplomats said, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s total budget, now $1.6 billion, will rise next year by roughly 1%. While […]
9/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “President Donald Trump’s debut at the United Nations’ annual gathering of world leaders was set to kick off with a U.S.-hosted event on overhauls at the world body. Monday’s [9-18-17] summit, set to be attended by world leaders and senior officials from more than 100 countries, comes a day before Mr. […]
9/13/2017
MILITARY/NATO/RUSSIA: “The country does not exist, so it has neither an army nor any real citizens, though it has acquired a feisty following of would-be patriots online. Starting on Thursday [9-14-17], however, the fictional state, Veishnoriya, a distillation of the Kremlin’s darkest fears about the West, becomes the target of the combined military might of […]
9/12/2017
NATO/RUSSIA/TURKEY: “In the clearest sign of his pivot toward Russia and away from NATO and the West, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Tuesday [9-12-17] that Turkey had signed a deal to purchase a Russian surface-to-air missile system. The deal cements a recent rapprochement with Russia, despite differences over the war in Syria, and comes […]
8/30/2017
NATO/RUSSIA: “The North Atlantic Treaty Organization announced Wednesday [8-30-17] it would send three observers to Russia’s Zapad military exercise but said the invitation fell short of Moscow’s international obligations. The statement from NATO came as the U.S. took over the Baltic air-policing mission in Lithuania. The U.S. began flying seven F-15C jet fighters from the […]
8/25/2017
MILITARY/NATO/RUSSIA: “Russia is preventing proper international observation of large military exercises near the Polish border next month, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday, echoing European governments’ growing apprehension over troops massing on the tense geopolitical fault line. Russia will send troops to Belarus, next to Poland, next month as part of an every-few-years exercise called […]
8/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/GERMANY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “On the outskirts of this small town in southern Germany, the U.S. is spending $1 billion on a hospital an Army general describes as the most ambitious medical construction project the military has ever undertaken. The excavators rumbling across an expanse of red soil close to the size of 90 football […]
8/2/2017
MIKE PENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/NATO/RUSSIA: “Vice President Mike Pence accused Russia on Wednesday [8-2-17] of working to ‘destabilize’ the Western Balkans and divide the region from the West where he said its future lies. Pence spoke in Montenegro, which joined NATO this year in defiance of Russia, on the final leg of a tour designed to reassure […]
8/1/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATO/RUSSIA: “NATO jets intercepted three Russian military aircraft near Estonian airspace Tuesday [8-1-17], an alliance spokesman told CNN… He added that Finnish jets also scrambled to intercept the Russian aircraft which he identified as two MiG-31 fighter jets and an AN-26 transport plane. NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission involves allied aircraft securing the airspace […]
7/12/2017
NATO/RUSSIA: “NATO and Russian pilots are reviving a Cold War contest of nerves, increasing the risk that airborne close encounters could accidentally spark a conflict. Over the past three years, the number of adversarial flights near the other side’s planes and ships have increased significantly. The tactic, usually meant as a show of force or […]
7/10/2017
NATO/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/TURKEY/REX TILLERSON: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday [7-10-17] acknowledged severe strains in U.S.-Turkey relations, although he said he is hopeful of mending ties with the NATO ally and partner in the anti-Islamic State coalition. He also said he hoped that the U.S. and Turkey could replicate an agreement reached last week […]
6/29/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at next week’s G-20 summit, senior administration officials confirmed Thursday. Mr. Trump also plans to meet with a number of NATO allies and is set to hold one-on-one discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Chinese President […]
6/27/2017
HOUSE OF REPS/NATO: “The U.S. House of Representatives voted nearly unanimously on Tuesday [6-27-17] to reaffirm the NATO alliance’s guarantee that all members defend each other, weeks after President Donald Trump raised doubts about Washington’s support for the agreement. The vote was 423-4 in the House, where Trump’s fellow Republicans hold a 48-seat majority, for […]
6/5/2017
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump drew backlash last month after he did not explicitly endorse Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s founding document during his summit with NATO allies in Brussels. And it appears his own national security team was blindsided by it. The article, known as the collective-defense clause, stipulates that […]
5/30/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/GERMANY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 30, 2017 05:40am […]
5/28/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 28, 2017 07:10am […]
5/28/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Just arrived in Italy after having a very successful NATO meeting in Brussels. Told other nations they must pay more, not fair to U.S.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 28, 2017 06:57am […]
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Big G7 meetings today. Lots of very important matters under discussion. First on the list, of course, is terrorism. #G7Taormina” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 27, 2017 04:58am […]
5/27/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Just left the #G7Summit. Had great meetings on everything, especially on trade where… ‘we push for the removal of all trade-distorting practices….to foster a truly level playing field.’ “ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 27, 2017 11:16 to 11:17am […]
5/27/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Many NATO countries have agreed to step up payments considerably, as they should. Money is beginning to pour in- NATO will be much stronger.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 27, 2017 05:03am […]
5/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s push to get in front of the pack at a NATO summit generated indignation in the Balkans and garnered attention on social media — but the man he shoved aside took it in stride. At Thursday’s gathering in Brussels, Trump put his right hand on the right arm […]
5/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Leaders from the world’s major industrialized nations began talks on Friday [5-26-17] at a G7 summit in Sicily which is expected to expose deep divisions with U.S. President Donald Trump over trade and climate change. The two-day summit, at a cliff-top hotel overlooking the Mediterranean, began a day after Trump blasted […]
5/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Getting ready to engage G7 leaders on many issues including economic growth, terrorism, and security.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 26, 2017 05:14am […]
5/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Just arrived in Italy for the G7. Trip has been very successful. We made and saved the USA many billions of dollars and millions of jobs.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 26, 2017 05:13am […]
5/25/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump on Thursday [5-25-17] punctured any illusions that he was on a fence-mending tour of Europe, declining to explicitly endorse NATO’s mutual defense pledge and lashing out at fellow members for what he called their ‘chronic underpayments’ to the alliance. On a tense day when Mr. Trump brought the ‘America […]
5/25/2017
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Today’s ceremony is a day for both remembrance and resolve. #NATOMeeting #NATO https://t.co/YNZV3bTek” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 25, 2017 12:54pm […]
5/25/2017
NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Thursday [5-25-17] chastised NATO leaders for not paying their fair share to protect the alliance, complaining in front of them that the defense burden the United States has shouldered for many years is “not fair” to its taxpayers. Trump also did not explicitly affirm that an attack on […]
5/24/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump is expected to publicly endorse NATO’s mutual defense commitment at a ceremony on Thursday [5-25-17] at the alliance’s headquarters, an administration official said, breaking months of silence about whether the United States would automatically come to the aid of an ally under attack. Mr. Trump will make the promise […]
5/10/2017
CABINET/DEFENSE/FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP PEOPLE/JAMES MATTIS: “Defense Secretary Jim Mattis traveled to the eastern edge of the NATO alliance on Wednesday [5-10-17] to pledge American solidarity with the Baltic nations, but he stopped short of giving his hosts in Lithuania what they wanted: a commitment to base Patriot missile-defense systems in the region. With Russia adopting an […]
5/9/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATO/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump approved plans to directly arm Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State in Syria, U.S. officials said Tuesday [5-9-17], paving the way for an offensive against the extremist group’s de facto capital but angering Turkish allies who view the Kurdish fighters as terrorists. The decision to arm the YPG, the […]
04/12/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump, at a news conference with the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, described Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as ‘a butcher’ as a result of the chemical attack the US government has accused him of carrying out on his own civilians. ‘That’s a butcher. That’s a butcher,’ Trump […]
4/12/2017
NATO/POLITICS: “Great meeting w/ NATO Sec. Gen. We agreed on the importance of getting countries to pay their fair share & focus on… https://t.co/G9TdjWezmH” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 12, 2017 04:48pm […]
4/11/2017
NATO/STATE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “A Letter from the President to the President of the Senate Dear Mr. President: Consistent with the condition set forth in the Senate resolution of advice and consent to ratification of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of Montenegro of March 28, 2017, and based on the recommendation of […]
03/31/2017
NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The top U.S. diplomat and the Pentagon’s chief stressed the importance of NATO and criticized Russia for aggression and meddling in other countries’ POLICY, easing European allies’ concerns about President Donald Trump’s commitment to trans-Atlantic security. In his first appearance at a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Secretary of State […]
3/22/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US President Donald Trump will attend a NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for May, the White House has confirmed. ‘The President looks forward to meeting with his NATO counterparts to reaffirm our strong commitment to NATO, and to discuss issues critical to the alliance, especially allied responsibility-sharing and NATO’s role in the […]
3/21/2017
CABINET/FOREIGN POLICY/NATO/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will skip a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization foreign ministers next month, the State Department announced. It is highly unusual for a U.S. Secretary of State to miss a NATO meeting. In the past 21 years, America’s top diplomat has missed a gathering only […]
3/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/GERMANY/NATO/ANGELA MERKEL: “President Trump on Saturday [3-18-17]followed up what he called a ‘great’ meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel by blasting her country for what he said were unpaid bills for NATO defense. On Twitter, Trump reiterated a point he made at his joint news conference Friday with Merkel that many NATO nations owe […]
3/08/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/NATO/RUSSIA: “Russia has deployed a land-based cruise missile that violates the ‘spirit and intent’ of an arms control treaty and poses a threat to NATO, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul Selva said on Wednesday. It was the first public accusation by the U.S. military of the deployment after […]
2/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO: “The Trump administration is moving to back Montenegro’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to senior U.S. officials, a decision that could both bolster the Western alliance and antagonize Russia. The likely move would take place in a rapidly evolving political and diplomatic climate, in which President Donald Trump is […]
2/6/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NATO: “Before taking office, Donald Trump repeatedly questioned the role of the NATO military alliance, a bedrock of European stability and transatlantic relations since 1949, calling the security pact ‘obsolete’ as recently as last month. On Monday [2-6-17] he dialed back, adopting the far milder critique that President Obama and other presidents have used. […]
2/4/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/NATO: “E[uropean] publishing saw a sensational hit in the 1840s with ‘The Mysteries of Russia’, a Frenchman’s take on the supposed brutality of Slavic life. Its most lurid tale described a Russian peasant fleeing wolves on a sled, who—unable to outpace the slavering pack—escaped by hurling her children, one by one, to their deaths. […]
2/3/2017
EU/FOREIGN POLICY/NATO: “The European Union has been weathering plenty of disunity in recent months. But on Friday, the bloc’s leaders seemed united in concerns over President Trump. In the Mediterranean island nation of Malta, leaders arriving for the EU’s first gathering since Trump’s inauguration had some sharp words for the 2-week-old U.S. administration. Both before […]
3/27/2016
NATO: “I think NATO is obsolete.” [Note: On 3-21-2016 Trump stated, “I see NATO as a good thing.”] – Donald Trump, Transcript, “ABC News,” abcnews.com, March 27, 2016, […]
3/24/2016
NATO: “N.A.T.O. is obsolete and must be changed to additionally focus on terrorism as well as some of the things it is currently focused on” – 3/24/2016, Donald Trump, Twitter.com, 3/24/2016 […]
5/16/2012
ISRAEL/NATO/OBAMA: “Wrong! Under @BarackObama’s watch, @Israel is not being invited to NATO summit in Chicago this month http://t.co/X45YRQNE” [1:57:15 PM] – 5/16/2012, Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Trumptwitterarchive.com, 5/16/2012 […]