Before leaving for the NATO summit in The Hague, a reporter asked President Donald Trump on board Air Force One—the US Air Force aircraft carrying the US president—whether he supports Article 5 of the NATO collective defense clause, Bild reports.

According to Article 5, an armed attack on one or more countries of the alliance will be considered an attack on all NATO countries that are obligated to provide military assistance to the attacked party.

Trump, however, avoided a direct answer. "Depends on your definition. There's numerous definitions of Article 5. You know that, right?," he said.

When asked whether he believes that he is not obligated to fulfill the aforesaid obligation of mutual assistance, Trump responded: "I’m committed to being their friends.”

The US president said has become friends with many leaders of Europe, and he feels obligated to help them. He is in favor of saving human lives, he is a supporter of life and security, and he will give a more precise definition when he is ready.

Thus, Donald Trump became the first US president who did not unequivocally confirm his readiness to come to the aid of an ally under any circumstances in the event of war and his commitment to Article 5 of the NATO collective defense clause.

On the other hand, Trump believes that he is strengthening NATO because he forces allies to invest in defense. In 2017, when his first term as the US president began, only seven of the 28 NATO countries were paying something. But today, Trump proudly claims, they pay a lot more because he demanded it.