Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley has mentioned that if voted to energy within the November 2024 election, her administration is not going to solely strengthen the alliance with Nato but additionally with a number of different international locations, together with India, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. She mentioned this was for “America having more friends, not less friends”.
Haley, the 52-year-old former US Ambassador to the UN, mentioned that if former US President Donald Trump is re-elected a risk to the Nato alliance is without doubt one of the issues she is nervous about.
“I’m worried about a lot of things if Trump is re-elected. That is one of them,” she advised ABC News, including that Nato is a 75-year success story.
Haley is the one candidate left towards Trump within the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination race.
The two-term former governor from South Carolina mentioned that Russia has by no means invaded a Nato nation as a result of it has sometimes been very intimidated by this alliance.
Nato is an intergovernmental navy alliance of 31 member states – 29 European and two North American.
Even China is intimidated by this alliance. So, maintaining Nato robust is essential, Haley mentioned.
Haley was responding to a query concerning the remarks by Trump in South Carolina per week in the past that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any Nato member nation that doesn’t meet spending tips on defence.
Adding extra mates to the fold is essential. This shouldn’t be the time to depart an alliance. This shouldn’t be the time to facet with a thug and never facet with mates, who stood with America after the September 11 assaults, Haley mentioned.
“We have to make sure that we stand firm. Because when we stand firm with our friends, our enemies stay on their heels. When we start to show any weakening of those alliances, that’s when our enemies move. That’s why we’re seeing China on the march. That’s why we’re seeing Iran want to build a nuclear bomb. That’s why we’re seeing Russia start to move towards Poland and the Baltics,” she mentioned.
“And that’s what I promise I will do as president, is we not only will strengthen NATO, we will strengthen alliances with India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines. We will add to the fold. This is about America having more friends, not less friends,” Haley said in response to a question.
Haley called Trump’s NATO comments “bone-chilling” and empowering to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“And all he did at that second was, he sided with a man who kills his political opponents, he sided with a thug who arrests American journalists and holds them hostage,” she mentioned.
Haley alleged that incumbent President Joe Biden, a Democrat, had additionally failed on a number of fronts.
“That has emboldened our enemies. That’s why you see them moving. It happened after the fall of Afghanistan. It is continuing to happen. Then they go, and they see the other opponent running for president, and they see that he doesn’t worry about Putin invading Ukraine. So, what does Putin do? He is going, and now he’s starting to put soldiers around the Baltics. He’s moving in for the next era.
“Let’s remind the American people that Putin said once he took Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics are next. Now he is putting soldiers around those countries, just like he did in Ukraine. And if that happens, those are NATO countries. That immediately puts America at war. That is what we are trying to avoid. And that’s why this aid package is so important,” she added.
Published By:
Karishma Saurabh Kalita
Published On:
Feb 19, 2024
Source: www.indiatoday.in
