"Trump's Alarming Comments on NATO and Russia Relations"

Former President Donald Trump claimed at a campaign event in South Carolina that he warned NATO allies that he would "encourage" Russia to act as it pleased against countries that had not paid their dues to the military alliance. This statement has raised concerns among NATO member states, particularly in light of ongoing tensions with Russia and the possibility of Trump returning to the presidency. Trump has previously criticized NATO's financial burden on the United States and suggested that the U.S. would not defend countries in arrears from Russian attacks.