Trump Says NATO Allies Agreed To Pay $200B During Rough Hour Of Negotiation

"We've been defending Europe and they are not paying their bills. So I went in and said, 'Folks, you've got to pay up. You're delinquent!'" Trump said at an event in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. "They will be paying $200 billion. It took me one hour, but it was a rough hour."Show more

The Republican leader touted in 2017, his first year attending a NATO meeting as president, he was able to reel in an additional $44 billion in funding for the organization.

"You have to understand, this is money to guard against Russia. I wouldn't say Putin is thrilled about that. Not thrilled," said Trump, whose campaign is at the center of a federal probe looking into whether it colluded with Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration during the 2016 election.

In a 2014 agreement, NATO countries agreed to pay 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2024. Trump did not cite how he arrived at the $200 billion estimation.