WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“I’m disappointed that the President failed to reaffirm America’s commitment to Article 5.  NATO’s credibility rests on the commitment of all allies to come to each other’s defense if any one of us is attacked. President Trump’s failure to stand firmly behind that pledge is certain to worry our allies and embolden Vladimir Putin and others who want to see the alliance falter.

“While I do agree that NATO allies need to keep working toward their defense-spending goals—as set out at the Wales Summit under President Obama’s leadership—there’s a time and a place for that conversation. It shouldn’t be done in a way designed to embarrass our closest friends while standing before a memorial to 9/11—the single time in NATO’s history Article 5 has been invoked.”

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