Donald Trump 'Encouraging Kremlin' Puts US Troops in Danger: Official

Former President Donald Trump's latest attack on the NATO alliance is "dangerous and frankly irresponsible," U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said on Tuesday.

The Republican presidential frontrunner repeatedly criticized NATO during his first term, reportedly even threatening to withdraw the U.S. from the bloc over the failure of allies to meet agreed military spending targets.

This weekend, Trump said that he would encourage Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to NATO allies who fail to "pay your bills." The comments prompted condemnation from the White House, NATO headquarters, and allied capitals.

In response, Smith told journalists at a Tuesday briefing: "Encouraging the Kremlin to attack any NATO ally or alliance territory really puts our soldiers—U.S. soldiers and our allies' soldiers—in greater danger. Doing so, making those types of statements, is dangerous and frankly irresponsible."

Smith's criticism echoed that of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who said in a weekend statement: "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk."

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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