<\/p>\n
Top Western officials criticised former United States president Donald Trump on Sunday after he suggested the country might not protect Nato allies who aren\u2019t spending enough on defence from a potential Russian invasion.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk,\u201d said Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a written statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny attack on Nato will be met with a united and forceful response,\u201d he added, reacting to remarks on Saturday by Trump, who is likely to be the Republican nominee in this year\u2019s US presidential election.<\/p>\n
Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also weighed in.<\/p>\n
\u201cNato\u2019s motto \u2018one for all, all for one\u2019 is a concrete commitment. Undermining the credibility of allied countries means weakening the entire Nato,\u201d he wrote on social media platform X.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo election campaign is an excuse for playing with the security of the alliance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Germany\u2019s foreign ministry posted the message \u2018One for all and all for one\u2019 with the hashtag #StrongerTogether<\/a> on its English language X account following Trump\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n European Union Council President Charles Michel said: \u201cReckless statements on Nato\u2019s security and Article 5 solidarity serve only [Russian President Vladimir] Putin\u2019s interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Article 5 of the Nato treaty says that an armed attack against an alliance member will be considered an attack against them all, triggering collective self-defence.<\/p>\n