day period in Brussels and we really accomplished a lot with respect to NATO
for years presidents have been coming to these meetings and talked about the
expense the tremendous expense for the United States and tremendous progress
has been made everyone's agreed to substantially up their commitment
they're going to up it at levels that they've never thought of before prior to
last year way attended my first meeting it was going down the amount of money
being spent by countries was going down and down verse abstention and now it's
going up very substantially and commitments were made only five of 29
countries will making their commitment and that's now changed the commitment
was a two percent ultimately that'll be going up quite a bit higher than that so
we are we made a tremendous amount of progress today it's been about at a
minimum they estimate and they're going to be giving you exact numbers but since
last year they've raised an additional thirty three billion dollars that's been
put up by the various countries not including the United States and the
United States commitment to NATO is very strong remains very strong but primarily
because everyone the spirit they have the amount of money they're willing to
spend the additional money that they will be putting up has been really
really amazing to see it to see the level of spirit in that room is
incredible and I hope that we're going to be able to get along with Russia I
think that we probably will be able to the people in the room think so but they
nevertheless they really stepped up their commitment and stepped it up like
they never have before so we took in an additional 33 the number could actually
be higher than 40 when they give you the final number the secretary-general
Sultan Berg will be giving those numbers sometime today probably
his concluding press statement but we are we are doing numbers like they've
never done before or ever seen before and you'll be seeing that then I guess
you'll be hearing that a little bit later okay we have our Secretary of
State as you know and we have John is here so if you have any questions for
the three of us Mike Pompeo just got back from my third trip as you know to
North Korea he's become a true expert on the trips to North Korea the best way to
get there the best way to get out and he gets along very well and he's doing a
great job over there yes ma'am yes I told people that are be very unhappy if
they didn't up their commitments very substantially because the United States
has been paying a tremendous amount probably 90% of the cost of NATO and now
people are going to start and countries are going to start upping their
commitment so I let them know yet they actually I was surprised I said you
didn't pick it up it took till today but yesterday I let them know that I was
extremely unhappy with what was happening and they have substantially up
their commitment yeah and now we're very happy and have a very very powerful very
very strong NATO much stronger than it was two days ago
yes ma'am yes hi how are you I know you're very famous on television
well they were probably worried because the United States was not being treated
fairly but now we are because the commitment has been up so much so now
they are and I was very firm yesterday you have to understand I know a lot of
the people in the room I was here last year I let them know last year in a less
firm manner but pretty firm and they raised an additional thirty three
billion dollars I think going to 40 billion but it's thirty three billion
dollars as of today and then today and yesterday I was probably a little bit
more firm but I believe in NATO I think that is very important probably the
greatest ever done but the United States was paying for anywhere from 70 to 90
percent of it depending on the way you calculate that's not fair to the United
States in addition to that as you know we're in negotiations with the EU and
we're going to be meeting with them next week we've been treated very unfairly on
trade our farmers have been shut out of the European Union now you could say
they're different but basically to a large extent they're the same countries
so I think we're going to be ultimately treated fairly on trade we'll see what
happens but I can tell you that NATO now is really a fine-tuned machine people
are paying money that they never paid before they're happy to do it and the
United States is being treated much more fairly yes sir news hour did you win any
concessions in your meeting and discussions with the German Chancellor
when it comes to German defense spending and also this issue of purchasing energy
from Russia and secondly what would you say to your critics that say by creating
this scene here at NATO you're only enabling President Putin in Russia to
further disturb things in Ukraine and Georgia well if you consider putting up
tremendously you know the additional funds at a level
that nobody's ever seen before I don't think that's helping Russia I think that
NATO is much stronger now than it was two days ago I think that NATO
is not doing what they was supposed to be doing a lot of the countries and we
were doing much more than we should have been doing frankly we were carrying too
much of a burden that's why we call it burden sharing I was using the term a
lot today burden sharing we had a fantastic meeting at the end 29
countries and they are putting up a lot Germany is increased very substantially
their time period and Germany's coming along and we still have to figure out
what's going on with the pipeline because the pipeline is coming in from
Russia so we're gonna have to figure that out I brought it up nobody brought
it up but me and we all are talking about it now and actually I think the
world is talking about it now maybe more than anything else but we're gonna
figure that out but and frankly maybe everybody's gonna have a good
relationship with Russia so there'll be a lot less problem with the pipeline but
to me that was a very major point of contention we discussed it at length
today the Germany has agreed to do a lot better than they were doing and we're
very happy with that we had a very good relationship with Angela Merkel yes hi
Thank You Margaret ala from yes after all these years I know Margaret okay
thank you maybe I'm being dense here but could you just clarify are are you still
threatening to potentially pull the United States out of NATO for any reason
and do you believe you can do that without Congress's explicit support and
approval I think I probably can but that's unnecessary and the people have
stepped up today like they've never stepped up before and remember the word
33 billion dollars more they're paying and you'll hear that from the Secretary
General a little while he thanked me actually he said he actually thanked and
everybody in the room thanked me there's a great collegial spirit in that room
that I don't think they've had in many years they're very strong so yeah very
very unified very strong no problem right no problem mr. president jeong's
lumira The Associated Press you have said previously one of the
countries of step up they're spending a 2% yesterday the suggestion might be 4%
or perhaps 2% in a much quicker timetable can you clarify what do they
commit to doing is that satisfactory to you what they're doing is spending at a
much faster clip they're going up to the 2% level now you have to understand some
of them have Parliament's they have their own congresses they have a lot of
things they have to go to so you know they're here as a prime minister as a
president and they can't necessarily go in and say this is what we're going to
do but they're going back for approvals some are at 2% others have agreed
definitely to go to 2% and some are going back to get the approval and which
they will get to go to 2% afterward 2% will start talking about going higher
but I said ultimately we should be in years in advance we should be at 4% I
think 4% is the right number now the United States depending on the way you
calculate it was at 4.2 percent and I said that's unfair and we have the
largest GDP by far especially since we've increased it by so much since the
thing called the election our GDP has gone way up and so the fact that our GDP
went way up that means we're paying for even more
which is very unfair so I explained that we we will go too much higher than 2%
into the future but right now we're getting people up to 2% and that'll take
place over a fairly short period of time a short number of years ok yeah go ahead
hi Tommy Slav crassness pravachan released Croatian daily newspaper we
understand your message ngratulations weather thank you sorry thank you we
understand your message but some people ask themselves where you be tweeting
differently once you board the Air Force One thank you no that's other people
that do that I don't I'm very consistent I'm a very stable
genius yeah go ahead thank you sir Jamie Dimon with the CNN
how are you quick question with regards to Germany and the comments that you
made yesterday do you feel like given the threats that you made about
potentially leaving NATO about insulting Germany's
it's been a very effective where to go but I'm not negotiating I just want
fairness for the United States we're paying for far too much of NATO NATO is
very important but NATO is helping Europe more than it's helping us at the
same time it's very good for us so we have now got it to a point where people
are paying a lot more money and that's starting really last year it really had
as you were there last year and last year we had a big impact again
we took in thirty three billion dollars more and if you as Secretary General
Stoltenberg he gives us total credit meaning me I guess in this case total
credit because I said it was unfair now what has happened is presidents over
many years from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama they came in they said okay do the
best you can and they left nobody did anything about it and it got to a point
where the United States was paying for 90 percent of NATO and that's not fair
so it's changed we had a really good meeting today we had a great meeting in
terms of in terms of getting along I know most of the people in the room
because of last year because of a year and a half that would have been in
office year and a half plus but we have a great relationship everybody in that
room by the time we left got along and they agreed to pay more and they agreed
to pay it more quickly yeah go ahead fill a mr. president Filip
record from the Washington Post you you tweeted yesterday what good is
NATO and you've talked about NATO as an alliance that benefits Europe that
defends and protects Europe do you see any value of NATO to the United States
Lisa V Russia does it help protect the United States from Russia in your view I
think it's another very strong ally as together it's much stronger than
obviously individual countries I think it's the way we have it now I think it's
a much I think NATO got you know what was happening with spending prior to my
getting into office the numbers were going down now the numbers have gone up
like a rocket ship the numbers have gone up a lot and they've gone up rapidly and
they're now going up further so I think NATO is going to be
very very effective I'm very impressed with it and really know and he's a
friend of mine but Secretary General Stoltenberg has done a fantastic job and
putting it all together and we were the ones that really we gave him an
extension of his contract as you know I think he's done a really good job I
think that when I was saying that I am very concerned with the pipeline I don't
like the pipeline and when I talk about NATO I said how do you have NATO and
then you have somebody paying the people that you're protecting against but maybe
we'll get along with the group that we're protecting against I think that's
a real possibility as you know I'm meeting with President Putin on Monday
and I think we go into that meeting not looking for so much we want to find out
about Syria we will of course ask your favorite question about meddling I will
be asking that question again but we'll also be talking about other things we'll
be talking about Ukraine Ukraine was here today by the way and you know it's
very interesting to hear what they had to say so excuse me well he may I mean
look he may you know what am I going to do if he may deny it I mean it's one of
those things so all I can do is say did you and don't do it again but he may
deny I mean well you'll be the first to know okay yes go ahead wall with the
Wall Street Journal yes if our Germans and the Canadians and others don't come
up to two percent what is your fallback position how will
you up the pressure to make them actually well they will they will I have
no doubt about it they all made commitments and they will be up to 2%
it'll be over a period of relatively short period of years
Georgian TV pilots renews mr. president what do you think today needs that these
are not Georgia most support from NATO and I want to ask about Georgia they
were here today representing yes and we we talk about Georgia in a meeting with
mr. with the President Putin well they were here they made a very favorable
impression and we listen to their plight it's a
tough situation with Georgia but they made a very favorable impression in the
room okay go ahead yeah you really did come on go ahead I had a question as
well but nonetheless I last heard it will you really recognize yeah will you
recognize Russia's antics of Russia when you mean is an interesting question
because you know long before I got here President Obama allowed that to happen
now that was on his watch not on my watch you know people like to say oh
Crimea but the fact is they built bridges to Crimea they just opened a big
bridge that was started years ago they built I think a submarine port
substantially added billions of dollars so that was on Barack Obama's watch that
was not on Trump's watch what I have allowed it to happen no I would not have
allowed it to happen but he did allow it to happen so that was his determination
what will happen with Crimea from this point on that I can't tell you but I'm
not happy about Crimea but again that was Barack Obama's watched not Trump's
watch yeah go ahead sure Jeff Mason from Reuters mr. president Oh Jeff regarding
your summit with President Putin will you be raising arms control issues would
you like would you like to extend new start and when you raise concerns about
violations of the INF treaty yes and I just follow up to the NATO meeting today
will you suggest to him or would you consider stopping military exercises in
the Baltic States if that's something that he requests well perhaps we'll talk
about that but I will say that we are going to be talking about those three
issues and many more we'll be talking about it Jeff okay
Evoque HC career leaders we are in the net of the porters the costed elbows the
double as planned before I would like to know if you are planning to guarantee
the taxpayers that the new money that is flowing into NATO will be spent in the
best possible way especially the money coming from country that have several
problem with the public finances well the money will be spent properly one of
the things that we have we have many wealthy countries with us today but we
have some that aren't so wealthy and they did ask me if they could buy the
military equipment and could I help them out and we will help them out a little
bit we're not going to finance it for them but we'll make sure that they're
able to get payments and various other things so they can buy because the
United States makes by far the best military equipment in the world the best
jets the best missiles the best guns the best everything we make by far that's
one thing I guess I assumed that prior to taking office but I really learned
since being president our equipment is so much better than anybody else's
equipment when you look at our companies Lockheed and Boeing and Grumman what the
material the equipment that we make is so far superior everybody wants to buy
our equipment in fact it's a question can they make it because they are doing
very well can they make it for so many people so we are helping some of those
countries get online and buy the best equipment yeah go ahead hi I'm Kristin
brown with Fox News on your upcoming summit with President Putin did any of
your allies here express any specific concerns or talk to you about any
messages that they'd like you to take with you when you go to the job just the
opposite of concern they actually and they'll probably come out with a little
bit of an edict but they actually thanked me for meeting with President
Putin I look forward to the meeting they thanked me they thought it was a great
thing that I was doing it and they gave us our best wishes or their best wishes
now with that being said we'll see what happens just a loose meeting
it's not gonna be big schedule I don't think it should take a very long period
of time and we'll see where it leads but it could lead to productive something
very productive and maybe it's not but I think meeting with people is great we
had a great meeting with chairman Kim and I'll tell you Mike Pompeo did a
fantastic job I might ask you to say a few words Mike while you're here just
one second Thank You mr. president so I did I returned actually came
straight from North Korea with a couple of stops here to Brussels we had a
productive conversation there remains a great deal of work to do but I think
most importantly my counterpart kim yeongcheol made a commitment consistent
with what President Trump was able to achieve with chairman Kim which was they
intend to denuclearize they're going to accomplish it and now the task is to get
it implemented it's just a finish on that you know so important that was an
amazing really an amazing meeting I thought and I really think that we
established very good relationships we'll see where it all ends but there
have been no missile tests there have been no research where there's been they
have blown up a site I hear they're blowing up another site missile site
they've taken down all of the propaganda in fact somebody said there's no more
music playing at the borderline you know the music was going on for many years
they said recently that wow there's no more of the heavy music and the
propaganda they've they've done a lot of things and we got back our three
hostages so it's a good it's a good process but the main thing is there have
been no rocket launches there have been no missile tests there's been no nuclear
tests no explosions no nothing for almost nine months okay
yeah please sure McCaskill from the Guardian and your trip to the UK well
there are lots of protests planned in London and elsewhere how'd you feel
about that I think it's fine I mean I think they like me a lot in the UK I
think they agree with me on immigration I'm very strong on immigration I made a
point today I said you've got to stop your ruining your you're gonna have a
lot of problems you see what's going on throughout the world with immigration I
probably at least partially won an election because of immigration if you
look at Italy giuseppe who I got to know quite well over the last month and a
half he won his election because of strong immigration policies on Italy I
think that a lot of the people in the UK I think that's why Breck's that happened
now I don't know what's going on with the negotiation who knows but and I
guess that's become a very interesting point of contention I said I'm going to
a few hot spots we have NATO that we have the UK and then we have Putin and I
said Putin may be the easiest of them all you never know but I'm going to a
pretty hot spot right now right with a lot of reza lot of resignations but I
will say that immigration is a very important thing and I told them today
the EU the European Union better be very careful because immigration is taking
over Europe and they better be very very careful and I said that loud and clear
yes president antenna 3 Romania what will you tell President Putin about this
summit and about NATO well I think he's gonna see about this but this has turned
out to be a very successful summit this is I think I think really that NATO is
more put together right now is more coordinated and I think there's a better
spirit for NATO right now that perhaps they've ever had it's richer than it
ever was the commitments are made at a higher level than they've ever been made
and the money to be paid out faster far faster you know the two percent was a
range of all it wasn't something that they were committed to
now it's a commitment there's a big difference the 2 percent number and
that's why so many people weren't reaching it or hitting it it was just
sort of like this amorphous number out there now it's a commitment a real
commitment I think he's going to see that there's great unity great spirit
great esprit de corps and I think we're gonna have a good meeting regardless of
that I think we're gonna have a good meeting but this was a fantastic two
days this was a really fantastic it all came together at the end and yes it was
a little tough for a little while but ultimately you can ask anybody at that
meeting they're really liking what happened over the last two days there's
a great great spirit leaving that room yes sir go ahead please
yeah Jonathan Beal from BBC I just just what do you think you're gonna get along
with President Putin and me just tell me why do you think that is there something
you admire about him and the second question cuz he's just about to go see
what he's a competitor he's been very nice to me the times I've met him I've
been nice to him he's a competitor you know somebody was saying is he an enemy
is that my enemy is he a friend no I don't know him well enough but the
couple of times that I've gotten to meet him we get along very well you saw that
I hope we get along well I think we get along well but ultimately he's a
competitor he's representing Russia I'm representing the United States so in a
sense we're competitors not a question of friend or enemy he's not my enemy and
hopefully someday maybe he'll be a friend it could happen but I just don't
know him very well I've met him a couple of times and when I did meet him most of
your people were there yes and Briggs it sorry sir because you are getting to the
UK what will be your message
you
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