President Trump on Wednesday signaled his support for NATO’s mutual defense pact after previously casting doubt on whether he would abide by it.
“I stand with it. That’s why I’m here,” Trump said at the NATO summit in the Netherlands when asked to clarify his stance on Article 5 of the alliance’s treaty.
“If I didn’t stand with it I wouldn’t be here,” Trump added.
Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty states that an attack on one member of the alliance is considered an attack on all members. The only time Article 5 has been invoked was in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on U.S. soil.
The defense pact has been back in the spotlight after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with NATO members arguing Article 5 could serve as a deterrent against further Russian aggression.
But Trump has at various points cast doubt on whether he would support Article 5 as has complained that other alliance members are not spending enough on defense.
“Depends on your definition. There’s numerous definitions of Article 5,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. “But I’m committed to being their friends. You know, I’ve become friends with many of those leaders, and I’m committed to helping them.”
Trump also suggested earlier this year that he had told NATO members he would not come to their aid if they did not pay enough toward defense spending.
“I said that seven years ago, and because of that, they paid hundreds of billions of dollars,” the president said in March.
