US President Donald Trump has consistently criticised NATO, urging member states to boost their defence spending and accusing them of taking advantage of the United States. He, however, has been “very insulted” by European President Emmanuel Macron’s idea of creating a pan-European army to protect itself from China, Russia, and even the US.
The United States has warned the European Union of economic and political consequences if the 28-member bloc goes ahead with the development of its own defence projects, El Pais reported, citing a letter by US Undersecretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord to Federica Mogherini, the bloc’s foreign policy chief.
Washington is “deeply concerned” with the adoption of a new regulation in the European Defence Fund that allows EU member states to encourage non-European nations to take part in projects, but says that the EU has exclusive intellectual property rights in those projects.
Trump dismissed Macron’s suggestion of building a pan-European military to protect the continent from China, Russia, and the United States, as “very insulting”, and argued that they should first pay their fair share of NATO.Macron’s idea was supported by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany and France have even already started building a joint aircraft and combat system, inviting other European states to join.
The US president has repeatedly pressed NATO member states to meet their annual defence spending obligations in the alliance, even insisting that they raise their expenditures to 4 percent of GDP — instead of the existing target of 2 percent.