Trump Critiques NATO, Reaffirms U.S. Influence

In a series of statements, Donald Trump criticized NATO's dependency on the U.S., praised his influence in increasing defense spending, and reiterated the U.S.'s pivotal role in the alliance. He also questioned NATO's credibility without U.S. leadership and expressed frustration over not receiving a Nobel Peace Prize.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump launched a scathing critique of NATO, asserting that the military alliance relies heavily on Washington for its survival. His remarks followed a collective pushback from European leaders reaffirming NATO unity and rejecting Trump's previous comments regarding Greenland.

Trump claimed credit for prompting NATO members to boost their defense spending to 5% of GDP, emphasizing his influence. He pointed out that Europe was largely dependent on the U.S. for defense funding until his intervention.

European leaders maintained Arctic security should be a shared concern, underlining Greenland's status in NATO. Meanwhile, Nordic countries reiterated their commitment to a secure Arctic region. Trump also claimed his actions prevented a total Russian takeover of Ukraine and questioned NATO's efficacy without U.S. leadership.

(With inputs from agencies.)