WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2019) US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he hopes Russia will not pose a security threat to NATO.
"I hope that it's [Russia] not going to be a security threat, I hope we have a good relationship with Russia and with, by the way, China and everybody else," Trump said. "I think we'll get along with Russia, I do believe that."
Trump said that a "tremendous" amount of money is being invested in NATO by member states, adding that he expects much more will be invested.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Soltenberg said that by the end of 2020 the alliance expects to secure an additional $100 billion in funding.
Stoltenberg will meet with high-ranking US officials and also address a joint session of Congress this week during the NATO ministerial in Washington.
The NATO ministerial meeting will mark the anniversary of the alliance, which was established when the North Atlantic Treaty was signed on April 4, 1949.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an intergovernmental military bloc, was created back in 1949 by 12 countries. Throughout its 70-year-old history the organization grew into a 29-member alliance.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders, warning that the alliance's aggressive moves could provoke an escalation into a full-fledged military confrontation.
