The NATO summit in Brussels was held. It was held for two days: on 11 and 12 July.
The agenda of the summit did not sound attractive, rather, it sounded boring: the "Russian threat", the financing of the alliance, the issue of "Nord Stream-2".
Only from a boring agenda a fight has grown. There they have a fight in their friendly North Atlantic ranks. Caused by the anger of the United States against Europe.
It all started at the G7 meeting. We all remember the silent scene: the President of the United States, sitting with a cheeky view of Master of the Universe, and the heads of vassal states hanging over him - Merkel, Macron and others.
Heads of vassal states in different shock conditions. An angry Merkel, who does not believe in his ears, Macron, a phlegmatic Canadian leader and others, somehow frozen in a terrified Japanese prime minister ...
Then Trump flew away from them, like a cork from a bottle of champagne, without signing a general resolution.
Apparently, it was then that he conceived his plan for a break with Europe. "Well, wait!"
On July 11, Trump's anger was added by the circumstance that at the airport of Brussels he was met by some mean official of the Foreign Ministry.
The entire Belgian top - and the King of Belgium Philippe and his wife, and Foreign Minister Didier Reinders were at this time in Russia at the match France - Belgium, and the Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel defiantly left for the town of Bren-le-Comte and watched the same match , sitting in the local fan zone.
Trump regarded such an unfriendly reception as an insult - and correctly understood everything. It was a slap in the face of Europe to the US president. The answer to the silent scene imprinted on the G7.
That's why the enraged Trump started on July 11 in Brussels with the fact that he attacked Merkel, accusing her of making Germany "a hostage to Russia", meaning that Germany continues to buy cheap Russian gas and is still involved in pushing the pipeline "Nord Stream" - 2 ".
Do you remember that Merkel hanged over him so accusingly? So he gave her a shot.
Here's how Trump formulated his displeasure in his Twitter:
"Billions of additional dollars have been spent by NATO countries since my last visit last year at my request. But this is hardly enough. The US is spending too much. Borders of Europe BAD. Pipeline dollars to Russia are unacceptable. "
Merkel mumbled that her Germany was an independent country, but Trump brushed aside.
He has a reason to be dissatisfied: only five of the 29 members of the alliance have fulfilled their obligations to deduct 2% of the national income for NATO needs.
Among them, there is no Germany. Want to know which five? In addition to the United States, it is Greece, Great Britain, Estonia and Poland.
Enraged, Trump snatched a pre-prepared trump card from his sleeve. Summoning an emergency meeting within the framework of the summit, he threatened to withdraw the US from NATO if the allies did not raise military spending to 4%.
You hear, already up to 4% !!!
This is an impossible condition in advance, an overstated demand. They do not spend two percent. Therefore, we can assume that Trump really intended to withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic alliance.
I'm sure.
Recall that even in the period when he was a candidate and in the first months of his presidency, Trump spoke about the "uselessness" and "obsolete" of NATO.
At G7, the American president was convinced of the disobedience of his vassals.
Deciding to get rid of them, as from assets that do not bring income - only expenses, businessman Trump has already outlined who he will replace the European disobedient partners - Russia.
It should be understood that Trump lives in a universe of great strength. For him, the world and the planet are not Poland, not Germany and not Greece and Estonia. And not even the UK. This is the USA, China, Russia. There was still the EU, but went bankrupt.
Here are Trump's statements, confirming my understanding of his behavior.
"I have a UK ahead of me, where there is a mess, and I have a meeting with Putin ahead of me, who - who would have thought! - may be the most calm of all. "
About Putin: "I think that we are getting along well. But he's my rival. He represents Russia, I represent the United States. This is a rivalry, not a question of friendship or enmity. I hope that someday he will become my friend, it is possible. "
He planned Putin to be his friend. Even then, when he began to viciously anger the Europeans by teasing them with the possible recognition of the Crimea as part of Russia. Remember: "The Crimea is Russian. Whose else is he, if they speak Russian there? "
Germany's response to Trump's accusations.
Offended tone of modest pride. Responds to the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas: "We are not anyone's hostages, neither Russia nor the US".
The answer of France.
President Makron does not consider it a good idea to increase military spending to 4%. France plans to increase spending to 2% only by 2024.
The answer of Italy.
The new Italian government said it was not ready to spend 4% of the national income on military needs.
It is also worth remembering that "Lega" and "Five Stars" threatened to withdraw Italy from NATO, even when they fought for power in the elections, that is, until Trump's threat that the US would leave NATO.
Answer of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: "We do not recognize the annexation of the Crimea, we do not recognize the propaganda of Russia, its actions in cyberspace, interference in elections. We saw an incident in Salisbury. But I do not consider this an argument for Russia's isolation. "
I do not quote the Estonian and Polish leaders.
July 16 in Helsinki Trump will incline Putin to Russia becoming a partner of the United States. And I'm not afraid of making a mistake.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the editorial position.