Dearlove, who headed the service from 1999 to 2004, issued this warning during a Jan. 15 interview with Sky News. He discussed potential threats to the U.K. in 2024, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the "long-term behavior of China."
"You have to add a political threat, which I am worried about, … [in the form of] Trump's re-election – which, I think for the U.K.'s national security, is problematic. Because if Trump, as it were, acts hastily and damages the Atlantic alliance, that is a big deal for the U.K.," said Dearlove. He cited the real estate mogul-turned-president's harsh criticism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which both the U.S. and the U.K. are part of.
"We've put all our eggs in defense terms in the NATO basket. If Trump really is serious about, as it were changing the balance – I mean, the American nuclear umbrella for Europe is, in my view, essential to Europe's security and defense." (Related: NATO, U.S., in trouble as Russia expands militarily and moves hypersonic missiles near Ukraine.)
Russia Today recounted that during his time in the White House, Trump disparaged NATO as "obsolete" and questioned its relevance in the modern world. He also cast doubt on America's commitment to defend its fellow NATO members, and argued that other members nations were not contributing enough.
Despite four indictments lobbed at him by Democratic prosecutors and attempts to keep him off the ballot in several states, Trump remains the front-runner for the Republican Party's presidential nomination. A recent poll conducted by Morning Consult indicates that he is leading the race with 69 percent of support. Meanwhile, the nearest rival is far behind.
Trump still critical of NATO
Meanwhile, Trump reiterated his dislike of NATO during an interview with Fox News on Jan. 11. He told the network that Washington's continued membership in the alliance "depends on [whether member nations] treat [America] properly."
"Look, NATO has taken advantage of our country. The European countries … took advantage of us on trade, and then they took advantage of us on military protection."
Trump's Jan. 11 remarks about NATO followed a revelation by Thierry Breton, the European Union's internal market commissioner. According to the French official, Trump told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the U.S. won't help Europe if it came under attack. Breton added that during the exchange – which happened at the January 2020 meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland – Trump dubbed NATO as "dead."
"We will leave, we will quit NATO," Trump reportedly said as per Breton. The then-U.S. president continued: "And by the way – you owe me $400 billion because you didn't pay, you Germans, … what you had to pay for defense."
"During his first term, Trump repeatedly clashed with traditional allies over trade and defense spending, while complaining that NATO owed the U.S. back payments and that member countries were not upholding the financial end of their alliance responsibilities," wrote the Independent.
"When Trump complains that NATO member countries aren't hitting their defense spending goals, he is referring to a commitment made by members in 2014. Under that commitment, member countries agreed to move toward spending two percent of their GDP [gross domestic product] on defense by 2024. Currently, only nine of the 29 members [located in Europe] commit two percent of the GDP to the alliance."
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Watch this video about NATO planning a false-flag attack in the Black Sea to justify World War III.
This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.
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