British Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday that President Trump is “100 percent” committed to NATO despite his criticism of the alliance during the campaign.
“On defense and security cooperation, we are united in our recognition of NATO as the bulwark of our collective defense and today we’ve reaffirmed our unshakeable commitment to this alliance,” May said during a joint press conference following their Friday meeting.
“Mr. President, I think you said, you confirmed that you’re a 100 percent behind NATO,” she added.
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Trump recently told a German newspaper that NATO is “obsolete,” and during the campaign, he criticized other countries in the alliance for not paying their fair shares, arguing that the financial burden had fallen on the U.S.
During Friday’s press conference, May said she will “ensure” that other European leaders follow through on their commitments to NATO.
“But we’re also discussing the importance of NATO continuing to ensure it is as equipped to fight terrorism and cyber warfare as it is to fight more conventional forms of war,” May said.
“And I’ve agreed to continue my efforts to encourage my fellow European leaders to deliver on their commitments to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense so that the burden is more fairly shared.”
Friday’s meeting was Trump’s first sit-down with a world leader since his inauguration last week.