summit Foreign affairs Republican Senator Jim Risch predicted that the United States would not abandon NATO under the Trump administration – and promised to work with the new president to strengthen the alliance instead.
Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, who leads the powerful Foreign Relations Committee under the new Republican majority, said his first priority is “putting the Trump team in place.” He said he was “cautiously optimistic” that they could win over Marco Rubio, Trump's presidential nominee Minister of Foreign Affairs, It was confirmed by opening day.
Speaking to Fox News Digital a day after his meeting with Trump, the president said he believes Trump's national security apparatus will be less crazy this time around.
“Anyone you talk to will tell you it's really different this time,” he said. “It would be much better.”
He said Trump discussed foreign policy priorities during his meeting with senators on Wednesday, but declined to reveal details.
It seems that Risch does not care much about Trump's threats to withdraw the United States from the European Union North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“I think everyone now realizes what Russia did, and that the original founders of NATO were very right that we have to stand up and unite together,” he said. “I don't think anyone has the idea that we should leave NATO.”
He continued: “We had a vote here in Congress on whether we should leave NATO or not.” “The vote was overwhelming.”
Russia is monitoring Trump's “sensational” comments about the acquisition of Greenland
In December 2023, Congress passed legislation as part of the National Defense Authorization Act that prevents any president from removing the United States from NATO without the approval of two-thirds of the Senate or an act of Congress. Rubio led this ruling.
Risch said this after Trump's first term and Russia Invasion of UkraineCountries began “very slowly” to increase their military budgets. Canada is not on track to meet the 2% target until 2032.
But now, 23 of NATO's 32 nations have met the 2% target, which Republicans now say is not enough.
Risch said he had long had plans to work on persuading allies to increase their spending.
“We're going to have to do more. So there's a lot of discussion about what that's going to look like, and I think President Trump and President Trump are going to stick with the European countries. They really need that.”
Trump said in December that he would “absolutely” do so. Leave NATO If its conditions are not met. Other members of the 32-member coalition have long called for increased defense spending.
“If they pay their bills, if I think they are treating us fairly, then the answer is definitely I will stay with NATO,” he said.
But for some, these comments were seen as pressure to force countries lagging behind in defense spending to increase defense spending. While NATO has long aimed for its member states to spend 2% on defense, many of which remain neglected, Trump recently moved that target to 5% – more than any country currently spends.
“They can all afford it, but it should be 5%, not 2%,” Trump said during an appearance at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday.
He complained that Europe has much more to lose than the United States, given its geographical proximity to its opponents.
President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at Cobb Energy Center for the Performing Arts on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin Deitch/Getty Images)
The ruins of the city of Turetsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on December 19, 2024. (Photo by Okrinform/Norphoto via Getty Images)
“Europe in “For a small portion of the money we have (for it),” Trump said during the meeting. appearance At his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida late Tuesday. “There is something called the ocean between us, right? Why do we receive billions and billions of dollars more money than Europe?”
Last year, the United States spent 3.4% of its GDP on defense. Poland was the largest spender, with a rate of 4.12%.
Risch, who last chaired the Foreign Relations Committee from 2019 to 2021, said he plans to work with Trump to return to a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, tightening sanctions to pressure the regime’s economic system.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“They will go back to maximum pressure,” he added. “I encourage it.”
“The Biden administration shoveled a bunch of money at them and begged them to come to the table to make a deal.”
He added: “Iran is going to have to make some really difficult decisions, because I don't see, in light of the external pressures that they are under, and the internal pressures that they are under, that they can continue with what they have been doing.”
