Romanian President: We’re Increasing Our NATO Contribution Because Of TrumpWhen Donald Trump speaks the would listens.
Paging Angela Merkel. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said Friday that his country is increasing its contribution to NATO after hearing President Donald Trump’s speech last month at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
During a joint press conference at the White House, Trump praised Iohannis for committing to increase Romania’s defense spending to NATO from 1.4 percent to two percent, as Trump called for during his speech in Brussels on May 25. Trump said other nations are also starting to “realize that it’s time to pay up.â€
“I was in Brussels, and I met President Trump. I listened to his speech, and I liked it, because you see NATO is based on values, but it is ultimately military alliance,†the Romanian president said. A reporter asked whether Iohannis thought it was fair that Trump encouraged NATO members to pay but also countries, including Romania, who had not paid two percent in the past to make up for that difference.
“And you know, military spendings are complicated, and you need a lot of money, because NATO is the strongest alliance the earth ever saw, and we want to keep it that way, so we have to spend money for defense purposes,†Iohannis said. “And spending money means if you’re in alliance, everybody has to spend money. This is called burden-sharing, and I fully agree, Mr. President, to that.