“Former President Donald Trump said on Saturday that, while president, he told the leaders of NATO countries that he would ‘encourage’ Russia ‘to do whatever the hell they want’ to countries that had not paid the money they owed to the military alliance,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Trump did not make clear whether he ever intended to follow through on such a threat or what that would mean for the alliance, but his comment at a campaign event in South Carolina — a variation of one he has made before to highlight his negotiation skills — is likely to cause concern among NATO member states, which are already very nervous about the prospect of a Trump return.”
