NPR

In NATO Speech, Trump Scolds Leaders But Doesn't Recommit To Defense Pledge

At a dedication for two memorials, President Trump told gathered NATO leaders that it was "not fair" to U.S. taxpayers for NATO countries to spend less than they pledged on their own national defense.
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May await a photo opportunity at a NATO summit meeting in Brussels on Thursday. / DAN KITWOOD / Getty Images

At a NATO summit in Brussels, President Trump marked the unveiling of memorials of the Berlin Wall and the Sept. 11 attacks with a speech that, among other things, told gathered NATO leaders their levels of defense funding are "not fair" to U.S. taxpayers.

Trump also omitted any clear statement of support for Article 5, the NATO mutual-defense pledge — something other leaders had been hoping to hear.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min readWorld
When Rockets Fall, Some Israeli Citizens Have Nowhere To Hide
While most buildings in Israel are required to have bomb shelters, a zoning catch-22 has left Bedouin villagers unprotected.
NPR3 min read
Renowned Painter And Pioneer Of Minimalism Frank Stella Dies At 87
Frank Stella was one of America's leading minimalist artists and a pioneer of the minimalist movement of the early 1960s. The movement challenged the idea that art was meant to be representative.
NPR2 min read
A Seafood Bounty Lures Sea Lions To S.F.'s Pier 39 In Numbers Not Seen In 15 Years
It's a popular rest stop for sea lions, but the docks at the tourist hot spot these days are unusually packed out with the slippery residents. Conservationists are buoyed by the surge in visitors.

Related Books & Audiobooks