WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s comments on NATO this weekend:
“President-elect Trump’s comments on NATO this weekend should concern all Americans as deeply as his words shock and unsettle our allies. For nearly 70 years, NATO has served as an essential foundation for freedom and stability at home and around the world. Unlike what the President-elect says, NATO is not obsolete -- it is a critical means of resisting Russian aggression and upholding democratic values. If he has any doubt about NATO’s importance, the President-elect should spend less time tweeting compliments to Vladimir Putin and more time studying the consequences of Russia's authoritarian, destabilizing behavior. Our NATO allies, who came to the United States’ defense after we were attacked on 9/11 , deserve nothing less than unwavering American leadership at the helm of the most important military alliance on earth.”