US President Donald Trump attends a gathering with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (not pictured), forward of the NATO summit in Watford December 3, 2019. — Reuters pic
LONDON, Dec 3 — US President Donald Trump declared immediately that his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron’s criticism of Nato as “brain dead” was very insulting.
“Nato serves a great purpose,” Trump stated, at a joint press look with alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg forward of the allies’ summit.
“I think that’s very insulting,” he stated of Macron’s remark, branding it a “very, very nasty statement essentially to 28 countries.”
Trump defended Stoltenberg, boasting that Nato members have massively elevated their defence spending because of his strain.
And he warned he may see France “breaking off” from the allies, after Macron in an interview criticised Nato’s management and technique.
“Nobody needs Nato more than France,” he stated. “It’s a very dangerous statement for them to make.” — AFP
