Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor told Newsmax Monday that when President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January, he will be facing a "changed" NATO amid the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump reportedly hosted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at his Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, over the weekend to discuss key global security issues.
Taylor told Newsmax's "American Agenda" that the two men "know what to expect of each other," having "dealt with each other" during Trump's first term.
"When [Rutte] was the Dutch prime minister, he was actually known to be well acquainted with and working well with then-President Trump," Taylor said. "So, this is a good foundation to build on."
The former ambassador noted that "NATO has changed, even since President Trump was president the first time" and defense spending was lower.
"When he was president the first time, not many of the NATO nations hit their 2% [of gross domestic product] goal," Taylor said, referring to the minimum required defense spending for member nations. "Now, I think it's like 23 to 25 of the 32 nations hit the 2% goal, and several of them — like Poland, for example, and the Baltic states — are well above the 2%. Poland, I think, is at 4%."
"So this is a different NATO, and I'm sure the former prime minister, now the secretary general, was at pains to talk to President-elect Trump about this new NATO that I'm sure he hopes will work together," he added.
Taylor also commented on the escalation in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, saying the conflict is no longer "just a question of the Russians invading Ukraine."
"This is now about the North Koreans being pulled in with soldiers," he said. "It's not just their missiles; it's not just the Iranian drones. It's now North Korean soldiers that are there on the battlefield. They are now engaging with the Ukrainians.
"Let's be clear: Ukraine is fighting this war; NATO and the United States and the other European nations are supporting Ukraine because they want to stop the Russians. This is NATO's role, but the Ukrainians are now fulfilling that role by stopping the Russians before they can threaten NATO."
"[The Russians are] about at the limit of what they can do themselves, so now they're looking to impress or take onboard the Yemenis," Taylor continued. "They've already been doing this with Tibetans and South Asians, and earlier, we heard that they were bringing in Syrians and Libyans and now the North Koreans in force.
"So the Russians are looking abroad because they are hurting at home for soldiers. The Ukrainians are also hurting for soldiers, but this war is getting to a point where they're both looking for resources."
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