Danish ex-PM attacks Trump for comments on defense spending

22/8/2019 18:12

        A former Danish prime minister lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump for his tweet about military spending, saying defense willingness is not just about the amount of money spent.
        
        Lars Loekke Rasmussen's comment is the latest in an escalating spat between the U.S. and Denmark after Trump scrapped a visit to the country, saying current Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was "nasty" when she rejected his idea of buying Greenland as an absurdity.
        
        Loekke Rasmussen, who led the country until June, tweeted to Trump: "We have had (proportionally) exactly the same numbers of casualties in Afghanistan as US. We always stands firm and ready."
        
        Trump, who has urged NATO members to do more to meet the alliance's goal of committing 2 percent of gross domestic product to defense, earlier tweeted that "Denmark is only at 1.35%."
        
        "We will not accept that our defense willingness is only about percentages," Loekke Rasmussen tweeted. "I told you at the NATO Summit in Brussels last year."
        
        In January, Denmark agreed to increase its long-term defense spending after a coalition in Parliament agreed to add 1.5 billion kroner ($223 million) to the already agreed-upon defense budget for 2023, which would put defense spending at 1.5 percent of gross domestic product for that year. The U.S. spends about 3.4% of its GDP on defense.
        
        Trump abruptly canceled his planned Sept. 2-3 visit to Denmark on Tuesday, after Frederiksen had called Trump's idea to buy Greenland "an absurd discussion."