Trump says U.S. would protect NATO allies, recognizing that ‘they love their countries’

“They want to protect their country, and they need the United States, and without the United States, it’s not going to be the same,” he told reporters in The Hague. It also states that if such an armed attack occurs, each member would take, individually and in concert with others, “such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.’’ But NATO allies have also taken collective defense measures, including joining the U.S. to fight the Islamic State group in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as help keep the peace in the Balkans.