As Bloomberg reminds us, during Trump's first presidency (from 2017 to 2021), Trump repeatedly threatened to withdraw from NATO, while last year Trump announced that he would"let Russia do whatever the hell it wants to do" with allies that do not spend enough on their defense.
US support for NATO's security architecture has become a cause for concern in Europe, as the Trump administration has shown great favor to Russia, and Trump administration officials have stated that Europe should think about its own defense in the event of a Russian attack.
During the NATO summit, the alliance's Secretary General, Mark Rutte, could take a step closer to Trump by reaching an alliance agreement to increase member states' defense spending to 5% of GDP.
However, this could be a very difficult task, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has already rejected such a possibility, and pro-Kremlin Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is also reluctant to increase defense spending.
Germany, for its part, is determined to deepen its role in NATO defense under new Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz has said he wants to build the strongest military force in Europe, capable of protecting Europe from Russian threats.
"Primarily, it is Russia that is aggressively threatening both security and freedom throughout the Atlantic area. We have reason to fear that Russia will expand its war beyond the borders of Ukraine," said Merz.
Trump, clarifying his statements about protecting NATO allies, said that"he is committed to saving lives because he is committed to life and safety."

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