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My relationship with the president, hey, listen, if somebody is doing good stuff and president Trump is doing a lot of good stuff, I believe, I know I'm irritating a lot of you again, but I think so. Because as I said, also in Davos, the 2% reach by all, uh, NATO countries now at the end of 2025 would never, ever, ever have happened without Trump. Do you really think that Spain and Italy and Belgium and Canada would have decided to move from 1.5 to 2% Italy spending 10 billion more in our own defense at the beginning of the year without president Trump? No way it would not have happened. And do you really think that in the Hague we would have come to the 5% commitment without president Trump? No way. So when president Trump is doing good stuff, I have operation, uh, and I don't mind him, uh, publishing text messages. And if anyone thinks here again, that the European union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can't, we can't. We need each other. And why do we need each other? I tell you, first of all, because also the US needs NATO for the US to stay safe. And by the way, Arctic region is evidence here. They need a secure Arctic. They need to secure your Atlantic. And you also need to secure Europe. So the US has every interest in NATO as much as Canada and the European NATO, uh, NATO allies, but for Europe, if you really want to go with alone and those who you are planning for that, forget that you can never get there with 5%. It will be 10%, you have to build up your own nuclear capability. That costs billions and billions of euros. You will lose them in that scenario, you would lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella. Uh, so, Hey, uh, good luck.

Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.

I'm not popular with you now because I'm defending Donald Trump, but I really believe he can be happy that he is there because he has forced us in Europe to step up to face the consequences that we have to take care more of our own defense. And here's my question to the audience. I mean, many of you, I know, criticized Donald Trump. But do you really think that without Donald Trump, eight big economies in Europe, including Spain and Italy and Belgium, Canada, by the way, also outside Europe, would have come to 2% in 2025 when they were only on 1.5% at the beginning of the year? No way without Donald Trump, this would never have happened. They're all on 2% now. Do you really think that in the summit in the Hague, as already Alex was saying, sorry, the President of Finland was saying, that we would come to an overall defense spending of 5%, including 3.5% in core defense. If President Trump would not have been reelected as President of the United States, no way it would never have happened. So again, I'm not popular with you now because I'm defending Donald Trump. But I really believe we can be happy that he is there because he has forced us in Europe to step up to face the consequences that we have to take care more of our own defense.

Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.