The dinner between European leaders on Thursday, March 6, had not even wrapped up before Donald Trump sent his regards. In the evening, the American president once again called into question Washington’s commitment to NATO, arguing that the United States should not come to the rescue of countries that, in his eyes, do not spend enough on their own defense. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,” he told reporters at the White House.

To drive the point home, he then questioned the reciprocal commitment of his European allies, adding: “If the United States was in trouble, and we called them, we said, ‘We got a problem, France. We got a problem, couple of others I won’t mention.’ Do you think they’re going to come and protect us? They’re supposed to. I’m not so sure.” This despite the fact that the only time NATO’s Article 5 of mutual assistance was activated was in 2001, after September 11, and European states mobilized to help the US.

Trump’s accusation came during an extraordinary European summit that had begun a few hours earlier, in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. The aim of the summit was to send a message of determination to Washington: The 27 member states want to demonstrate their unity and their willingness to take charge of their own security, while standing by Ukraine.

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