NATO Membership obligates each member country to commit to pay a percentage of their GDP on their own defense. Countries other than the US have historically failed to meet this threshold- even the perfectly wealthy ones like Germany. That leaves the US to fund a large part of NATOs budget on the backs of US citizens and not on the backs of the people where NATO resides and is designed to primarily protect.

Trump wanted to leverage them to uphold their commitment to their own defense, he threatened to leave... because your legs are your most powerful negotiating tool- from buying a car to defense of foreign borders... and also because not like the other side of the aisle, he understands that money and munitions do not grow on trees, and NATO would be unassailable if they lived up to their word. This would force Russia to the table of being a trading partner as it would be better than remaining an adversary for them. We would benefit from a Russia as a strategic partner against China... Instead, Democrat policy drives all of them to one side and unites them, something dems are good at.

A strong NATO would avoid the very things going on right now without having to fire a shot. Who is funding this war that happened because Russia figured it would be easy while Biteme dozed?? ... a huge proportion by the US in billions of dollars because the other countries aren't pitching in as much as they said they would.

The problem with Ukraine is, it was corrupt all by itself... so we are supporting one corrupt government, ( not the people) against another corrupt government ( Putin- not the people), but not enough to really make them win...

Anyways- Thats the billions he was talking about, What part of this don't you understand? Commitment, Obligation, pay your fair share - but then I am not surprised.... a common & telling attribute of one political perspective-isn't it? See they don't spend the money, instead they help their domestic non-military economy- because spending money on government does not create prosperity, nor fix bridges... it doesn't even pay to wash off the democrat created excrement from the streets in San Fran & Portland ....

See graph below. You are looking at the light blue columns... the vast majority of countries failing to meet their obligations... in real dollars, because we have by far the biggest economy, the actual dollar figures are staggering ( see second attachment).