Trump refuses to commit to NATO Article 5 as US piles pressure on allies to boost defence spending
Donald Trump has refused to confirm the United States is committed to NATO’s Article Five, the alliance’s founding principle.
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Every member of NATO must agree to the principle of collective and mutual defence - if one member state is attacked, the others come to its defence.
Known as Article Five, this is the founding principle of the NATO alliance.
But speaking on Tuesday as he travelled to the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Mr Trump refused to say he was “committed” to the principle.
“Depends on your definition,” he said from Air Force One.
Read more: UK 'must prepare for a wartime scenario on British soil'
"You know, I've become friends with many of those leaders, and I'm committed to helping them.
"I'm committed to saving lives. I'm committed to life and safety, and I'm going to give you an exact definition. When I get there. I just don't want to do it on the back of an airplane."
For many, these comments will not come as a surprise, with scepticism of NATO being a key talking point for Mr Trump throughout his political career .
Today’s comments come as the UK government warned it is actively preparing for a "wartime scenario" on British soil "for the first time in many years."
In the national security strategy published on Tuesday, ministers said the UK now finds itself in "an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security".
The strategy aims to protect the UK at home and abroad, and also invest more in artificial intelligence (AI) and defence.
It draws on work across Government, including recent plans to revamp the defence sector and boost the economy by backing growth industries, with the aim of bolstering the security of the UK.
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden told the Commons the whole country must now be "clear-eyed and hard-edged" about the threats it faces.
"We are in an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security," the strategy warned, pointing to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the most pressing example.
Russian cyber attacks and sabotage, and Iranian "hostile activity" in the UK are also increasing, it warned.