Trump's attacks on NATO are 'like a gift' to Putin, a former US Army leader in Europe says, but Putin still has his own reasons to worry

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

• Russia has plans to reassert itself as a world power.
• President Donald Trump's attacks on NATO advance that goal, according to retired US Army Gen. Ben Hodges.
• But Russia has its own problems, and they may get in the way of President Vladimir Putin's ambitions.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is gaining a political edge in Europe, thanks in large part to President Donald Trump, a recently retired US Army commander in Europe told Business Insider.

To recap all the recent tumult: Trump began a NATO summit earlier this month with more criticism of the alliance, calling Germany a "captive of Russia" and saying other countries were "delinquent" in their defense spending. He ended it by demanding NATO members increase their defense budgets to 2% of GDP by January, six years ahead of the agreed-upon deadline.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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