The US President Donald trump said that NATO countries at the summit agreed to raise their contributions to “unprecedented heights”.

The President of the United States Donald trump and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Photo: The White House / Flickr

“It was made significant progress. All agreed to significantly raise the level of their contributions, will rise to levels that were previously unthinkable,” said trump on Thursday at a press conference following the summit.

For the year of NATO countries have raised military spending to $ 33 billion, he said.

The US remains in NATO, their commitment to the Alliance is very solid, trump added.

We will remind, before the NATO summit US President Donald trump said that the United States spends on NATO a lot more than any other country.

“It is unfair and unacceptable, said trump. — Despite the fact that these countries have increased their contributions since the time I became President, they should do even more . Germany contributes 1% [of their GDP], and the U.S. — 4%. And this is with the understanding that NATO needs Europe much more than the United States.”

Yesterday at the NATO summit, trump said that the allies must increase defense spending to 2% of GDP and subsequently to bring them up to 4% of GDP.

On the question of withdrawal from the Alliance

The US President can decide on the country’s withdrawal from NATO, without the support and approval of Congress, however, trump is not considered appropriate.

“I think I probably can do it, but it’s not necessary,” the President said, answering the question of how to establish whether it is still their allies to the US withdrawal from the Alliance and if he could make such a decision without the support and approval of Congress.

“The people here today have stepped up their efforts as they have never done before. Remember these numbers: $ 33 billion they raised costs, — said trump. — There is a great atmosphere of collaboration. I think that this was not many years”.

Earlier Thursday, the American newspaper Politico reported, citing diplomatic and official sources in NATO, that trump threatened NATO partners with the US withdrawal from the Alliance. According to the publication, trump on Thursday at the meeting with the leaders of NATO, as well as the presidents of Georgia and Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Giorgi Margvelashvili has warned of “serious consequences” if NATO allies as soon as possible will not increase military spending.

As reported later to journalists, a diplomatic source in one of the European delegations, trump in harsh tones demanded on the second day of the NATO summit to resume discussions about European defense spending, but did not threaten a withdrawal from the Alliance.