DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 23 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that the EU treated the United States very unfairly particularly in terms of trade and NATO spending, vowing to achieve fairness in trade relations with the European Union.
Speaking live from Washington DC at the World Economic Forum in Davos that held his annual meeting in Davos Trump noted that the US faces a significant trade deficit due to Europe's unfair policies towards the country. These include high tariffs and restrictions on American imports including agricultural products and cars.
Trump also criticized some NATO member countries that had failed to meet their financial obligations to the alliance causing the US to shoulder most of the financial burden in the past which he called unjust.
He emphasized that he would push NATO nations to increase defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP a level he believes should have been set years ago.
He highlighted that NATO spending was previously set at 2 percent and many countries didn't meet their obligations until he took action. Trump mentioned that the US was bearing the financial burden which he considered unfair to America.
Regarding his country's relationship with China, Trump stressed the importance of improving ties with China which he said had been negatively affected by the previous US administration and the massive trade deficit of 1.1 trillion dollars.
The US president mentioned that he had discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the possibility of significantly reducing nuclear weapons and that China was willing to participate in these efforts during his previous term.
He emphasized that nuclear disarmament is not just an economic goal but a humanitarian necessity to avoid the catastrophic consequences that could result from the use of these weapons.
Trump also expressed his desire to establish a balanced relationship with China, hoping that China could end the Russia-Ukraine war positively.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump confirmed that efforts were underway to reach a peaceful settlement describing the situation as "an unprecedented slaughter since World War II" with millions of soldiers' lives lost on the battlefield.
He stated that the war would never have started if he had been in office, urging Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to work together to end the conflict which he described as "a complete killing field." Regarding Gaza, the US president praised his administration's success in brokering a ceasefire agreement stating that this agreement would not have happened without US efforts particularly his own as president.
Speaking about his country Trump expressed pride in the major events that the United States would witness during his term, including the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country and the hosting of the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games.
He also mentioned the relationship with Saudi Arabia and the investments recently announced by the kingdom and invited foreign investors to start investing in the US, promising them the lowest taxes in the world. (end) imk.ibi