Stoltenberg: Change of power in US will not mean 'end of NATO'
The North Atlantic Alliance will continue to exist if former US President Donald Trump is elected for a second term.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this in an interview with The Guardian, Ukrinform reports.
"I worked with him [Trump] for four years. I think it’s important not to create self-fulfilling prophecies in a way that assuming that a new administration in the United States will mean the end of Nato. There were concerns about that also in 2016. The reality was that Nato is stronger after four years … more troops, high readiness," he said.
Stoltenberg also expressed his belief that the United States will remain a strong ally of NATO.
"The reason why I’m expecting the United States to remain a strong ally … is that the main criticism from President Trump but also from the candidate for vice-president, JD Vance, has not primarily been against Nato. It has primarily been against Nato allies not spending enough on Nato on defence and that is changing," the Secretary General said.
He is also confident that the United States will remain in NATO, as the Allies together account for 50% of the world's "military power". If the United States leaves the bloc, NATO will account for only 25% of this global military capability.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the United States will remain a powerful and reliable ally of the Alliance, regardless of the results of the next presidential election in this country, because support from a strong NATO is in the security interests of the United States itself.
Photo: NATO