Trump's statement about Russia risks allies, says NATO leader.

On Sunday, the NATO leader cautioned that Donald Trump's statement about Russia being able to do "whatever the hell they want" to alliance members who don't meet their defense spending targets posed a risk to the safety of U.S. troops and their allies.

Poland, a country in central Europe that has been under Russian control more often than not since the end of the 18th century, expressed deep concern over Trump's remarks. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that "no election campaign is an excuse for playing with the security of the alliance."

At a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recounted how he told a NATO member that he would "encourage" Russia to take action against NATO allies who are "delinquent."

Trump stated, "You didn't pay? You're delinquent? I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills."

The 31 NATO allies are dedicated to safeguarding one another, as stated by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg stated that NATO is prepared to defend all allies and any attack on NATO will result in a united and powerful response. He emphasized that any suggestion that allies will not defend each other weakens all security, including that of the U.S., and increases the risk of American and European soldiers.

In his statement, Stoltenberg stated that he anticipates that the U.S. will continue to be a dedicated NATO ally, regardless of who wins the presidential election.

The German foreign office published a statement on Sunday morning highlighting NATO's principle of solidarity, while the German government remained silent on Trump's remarks.

The NATO creed 'One for all and all for one' safeguards over 950 million individuals across Anchorage to Erzurum, as stated by the Foreign Ministry on X, formerly Twitter.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung stated in an editorial that if Trump is elected as the U.S. president again, it will increase the likelihood of Putin expanding his war. Europeans must counter this by investing in their military security, in proportion to the severity of the situation.

NATO's front-line countries, including Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, were particularly concerned about Trump's comments, as these countries were either under Soviet control or fully incorporated into the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The fear is even more pronounced given Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Trump's stance while in office, which involved threatening not to aid any country under attack that he deemed owed NATO and the U.S. and was not spending enough on defense, destabilized the alliance, particularly countries with borders close to Russia.

NATO's mutual defense clause, Article 5 of its founding treaty, obligates all allies to assist any member that is attacked. This provision has been invoked only once, by the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

In response to Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, NATO leaders decided to increase their military spending to 2% of their GDP, reversing the cuts made after the end of the Cold War. NATO does not owe any country or itself any debt.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, NATO has conducted its largest military buildup since the end of the Cold War.