Article snippet: retaliatory measures from the European governing body. Trump on Sunday suggested it was difficult for him to take a harsh stance against the European Union because "both my parents" were born there. While his mother was born in Scotland, his father, Frederick Trump, was born in New York. Trump's paternal grandfather was born in Germany. "You know I love those countries. I respect the leaders of those countries," Trump told CBS. "But, in a trade sense, they've really taken advantage of us, and many of those countries are in NATO and they weren't paying their bills." NATO members do not pay bills to the organization or to any one country. Instead, they are responsible for allocating a certain amount of their budget toward defense spending. Countries have agreed to spend 2 percent of their respective gross domestic product by 2024. However, Trump upended that agreement during last week's summit, first saying that countries should increase the goal to 4 percent. Not even the U.S. currently meets that percentage. He later demanded that NATO members meet the 2 percent threshold "immediately" rather than gradually raise their contributions. The president has raised eyebrows in recent weeks as he ratchets up attacks on European allies, while showing reluctance to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he is scheduled to meet on Monday. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax The contents of this site are ... Link to the full article to read more