On the first day of the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., defense ministers from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania signaled their preparedness to engage with former President Donald J. Trump—likely anticipating his return to the White House after November’s presidential election. Advocating strongly for NATO during a panel hosted by POLITICO and Die Welt, the Baltic defense officials deployed rhetoric resonating with the America First leader’s previous critiques of defense spending within the alliance.
“NATO is a club. When you have club rules, then you respect the rules and you expect that everyone will also respect the rules,” said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, with POLITICO noting the remarks were “clearly aimed at the golf-loving former president.”
“When you pay your fee in the golf club, you can play. It doesn’t matter how big is your wallet,” Pevkur added.
The ministers also highlighted increased American engagement with NATO during Trump’s first term and said they are not afraid of his reelection.
The National Pulse reported in June that a record number of alliance members are now meeting their commitments. In office, Trump put significant pressure on NATO members to increase their defense spending.
Earlier this year, Trump told Brexit leader Nigel Farage that he would be there for NATO members if they “play fair.”
He has also revealed how he motivated “delinquent” governments in NATO to meet their defense targets by warning he would not rush to protect alliance members “taking advantage” of America by relying on American military protection while neglecting their own spending obligations.
The Baltic ministers’ statements come as voters, U.S. lawmakers, and foreign diplomats are raising concerns regarding 81-year-old Joe Biden‘s cognitive decline and inability to fulfill the duties of office.