Gilmore to Newsmax: Trump Entitled to Great Deal of Credit for NATO Win

President Donald Trump "is entitled to a great deal of credit" for NATO allies agreeing to more than double their defense spending target from 2% of gross domestic product to 5% by 2035, says James Gilmore, former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Trump, he told Newsmax’s "National Report," "has been pushing these issues, not just in The Hague this week, but for months and months to get the Europeans to increase their spending so that they can stand up to the Russians.

"And I think that the policy of standing up to the Russians is gripping. It's taking effect. The money is flowing. They've been talking about a 2% number. Then they were talking about a 3.5% number. Now they're talking about a 5% number. And I think it's necessary because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is the one dictator who actually pulled the trigger and who actually said, 'I'm going to compromise Europe. I'm going to conquer another country of Ukraine. I'm going to rebuild the Russian Empire.'

"This is a threat to Europe. It will affect our politics. And it has a direct effect on the safety and security of the United States," he added.

In a joint declaration, the Western military bloc said it was "united in the face of profound security threats and challenges," in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the "persistent threat" of terrorism.

"Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence-and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations," it continued.

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