Reality check for Trump as Nato chief tells him European troops have died for America in recent history
NATO chief Mark Rutte delivered a reality check for Trump, reminding the president that European troops died for the US after 9/11
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte delivered a reality check for Trump when he reminded him how Nato soldiers gave their lives in Afghanistan after 9/11.
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Trump said yesterday that “I'm not sure that they'd be there for us if we gave them the call” during his speech to world leaders in Davos.
“I’m not sure that they’d be there. I know we’d be there for them. I don’t know that they would be there for us," he added.
But in a sit-down meeting, Mr Rutte told Trump: “There’s one thing I heard you say yesterday and today. You were not absolutely sure Europeans would come to the rescue of the US if it were attacked. Let me tell you, they will and they did in Afghanistan.
“For every two Americans who paid the ultimate price, there was one soldier from another NATO country who did not come back to his family – from the Netherlands, from Denmark and particularly from other countries.
“So you can be assured, absolutely, if ever the United States was under attack, your allies will be with you. There is an absolute guarantee. I really want to tell you that because it pains me if you think it is not.”
NATO member countries suffered hundreds of deaths during the Afghanistan war, triggered after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre in New York. Britain lost 457 troops and France, Germany and Italy also suffered losses.
Mr Trump says that the US is exploring a potential deal on Greenland after talks with Nato, as he dropped planned tariffs on eight European countries and ruled out using force to take the island.