Trump told E.U. that U.S. would never help Europe under attack, senior official says

Former President Donald Trump told top European officials while he was in office that the United States would never help Europe if it came under attack, according to a high-level E.U. official.

Thierry Breton, a French commissioner who is responsible for the European Union’s internal market, said Trump made the remarks to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2020.

Breton recounted his recollection of the meeting, which he also attended, at a panel discussion in Brussels on Tuesday. His comments prompted sharp criticism of Trump on Wednesday from U.S. President Joe Biden’s campaign for re-election.

“You need to understand that if Europe is under attack, we will never come to help you and to support you,” Breton quoted Trump as saying during the Davos meeting.

“By the way, NATO is dead, and we will leave, we will quit NATO,” Trump also said, according to Breton, speaking at an event hosted by the Renew Europe political party at the European Parliament.

“And by the way, you owe me $400 billion, because you didn’t pay, you Germans, what you had to pay for defense,” Breton quoted Trump as saying.

Asked whether von der Leyen’s recollection of Trump’s remarks matched those of Breton, a spokesperson for the European Commission president declined to comment.