U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told Newsmax on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has launched not just a golden age of America with his second term, but a "golden age of NATO."
"He has made it stronger, he's made it more lethal, he has made it relevant," Whitaker said of the military alliance on "Wake Up America." "And now, with this announcement yesterday that I was able to participate in the Oval Office, he has made it Europe's responsibility for the traditional defense and deterrence on the European continent, including the war with Ukraine and Russia. So, this is really an extraordinary moment. The thing that we have to understand is the American taxpayer is no longer going to bear the burden of the Ukraine war or of European defense, and so that's great news.
"At the same time, we have to totally understand that America makes the best weapons, the best ammunition, the best artillery, the best of everything, including our F-35s, our Abrams tanks — so many great things that are produced and the world wants them," he added. "And I think, really, Europe paying for American armaments and then providing them to Ukraine for their own defense is a win-win for everybody. Donald Trump does it again and it's really an honor to serve with him and for him in this administration."
Under a deal announced by Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, the United States will supply Ukraine with weapons that will be paid for by the bloc’s member nations. According to the president, the equipment, including a Patriot missile system, will be sent to Kyiv very soon.
Whitaker pointed out that the deal to rearm Ukraine is a "very common-sense approach" to ending the war and said that Trump is "frustrated" with Russian President Vladimir Putin for his refusal to negotiate peace.
"He wants Vladimir Putin to come to the table, but he also knows that the only way that Vladimir Putin is going to come to the table is if he can't win this war," he said. "We're seeing it on the battlefield. Putin has only achieved 1% territorial gains in the last 18 months. He's lost a million soldiers in this war as casualties, a third of those killed in action, which means almost 300,000 soldiers on the Russian side for marginal gains on the battlefield. It needs to end. Donald Trump's a peacemaker and he's creating the conditions for that peace."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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