Trump Would "Encourage" Russia To "Do Whatever The Hell They Want" To NATO Allies If They Don't "Pay Up"

During a speech in Conway, South Carolina last night, defeated, former President Donald Trump told the MAGA faithful that he would let Russia "do whatever the hell they want" to NATO allies if they don't "pay up.". Per The New York Times:

Mr. Trump has previously expressed his belief that support for NATO is overly burdensome on the United States, saying the alliance drains its financial and military resources. His campaign website says that the country must re-evaluate the organization’s purpose.

He has in the past recalled privately telling NATO members that the United States would not defend them from Russian attacks if they were in arrears. Last year, he claimed during a campaign speech that “hundreds of billions of dollars came flowing in” to NATO after he made that threat.

On Saturday, he again brought up that anecdote, saying that he told European leaders they had to “pay up.”

Then, he said, the president of “a big country stood up and said, ‘Well, sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’”

Mr. Trump said he asked the other president if the country was “delinquent” in its payments. The leader responded, “Yes. Let’s say that happened,” Mr. Trump said.

“No, I would not protect you,” Mr. Trump recalled responding. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You’ve got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”

For starters, Trump is acting like a mob boss and is treating NATO as if it were a protection racket. But it is much worse than that. The key word here is "encourage". Not only would Trump not protect a NATO ally from a Russian attack but he would actively "encourage" Russia to attack a NATO ally which displeased him. 

The upshot of Trump's encouragement is to give Russia carte blanch do as it pleases where it concerns Europe. It demonstrates Trump has no commitment to a military alliance of Western democracies because he does not believe in democracy.

While it is true there is longstanding pledge for NATO members to commit 2% of their GDP to military spending it has been argued that it is an artificial yardstick which does not reflect the military capabilities of NATO allies in question. 

Although Trump's words have undoubtedly heightened already an already anxious Europe their implications could have resonance on this side of the Atlantic as Canada and Russia have had a longstanding dispute over sovereignty in the Arctic Ocean. Last year, the UN gave Russia most of what it sought. But let us say Russia wanted more, didn't get what it wanted from Canada or the UN and saw fit to invade Canadian territory? Given that Canada spends about 1.2% of its GDP on its defense as well as his enmity towards Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I think we know what side Trump would take if this came to pass. 

Then again even if Canada did exceed 2% of its GDP on its defense, I wouldn't count on Trump coming to Canada's defense against Russian aggression. Ditto for Europe. Because in Trump's eyes, his oath isn't to the U.S. Constitution, it is to Vladimir Putin. Trump might be a mob boss, but Putin is the Godfather.