WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – On Tuesday, Trump delivered his first adress as the president of the United States.
“I am sending Congress a budget that rebuilds the military, eliminates the defense sequester, and calls for one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history,” Trump said in prepared remarks ahead of his address to Congress on Tuesday night.
“Our foreign policy calls for a direct, robust and meaningful engagement with the world. It is American leadership based on vital security interests that we share with our allies across the globe,” he said.
The US president also pledged to maintain full US involvement in and support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“We strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two World Wars that dethroned fascism, and a Cold War that defeated communism. But our partners must meet their financial obligations. And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that,” he said.
Trump said his administration expected its allies in NATO, the Middle East and the Pacific to take a direct and meaningful role in both strategic and military operations, and pay their fair share of the cost.
