As President Donald Trump returned from the annual NATO summit having persuaded the majority of the members to commit 5% of their annual gross domestic product on core defense requirements, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Wednesday that the U.S. "wants strong partners that are going to step up."
"We want a Europe that doesn't need the United States of America. Not so that we're not there for each other, but so that we know you can be your own security guarantee. You can stand on your own.
"The outgoing Polish prime minister said it very well. He said, 'We have a continent of 500 million people asking for a country of 300 million people to defend against a country of 150 million people. Where does the math add up in any of that?' It doesn't add up," Mast said during an appearance on "Rob Schmitt Tonight."
The representative from Florida's 21st Congressional District said that Trump deserves "all the credit in the world" for pushing European countries to increase their defense spending.
"The $500 billion commitment that Germany made in the past, the $20 billion commitment that U.K. made in the past, the $150 billion commitment that the EU has made over the past couple of months.
"Why give President Trump all the credit for this? Because they could have done it a year ago. They could have done it two years ago. They could have done it three years ago. They didn't do it. In fact, they were falling behind on these commitments."
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James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.