Senior Western officials criticized former US President Donald Trump today, Sunday, after he suggested that the United States might not protect NATO allies who do not spend enough on defense from a potential Russian invasion.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a written statement that "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines our entire security, including the security of the United States, and puts American and European soldiers at increasing risk."

He added, "Any attack on NATO will be met with a unified and strong response," in response to remarks made by Trump on Saturday, who is likely to be the Republican Party candidate in this year's US presidential election.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak also joined in.

He wrote on the social media platform X, "NATO’s slogan 'One for all, all for one' is a concrete commitment, and undermining the credibility of allied countries means weakening the entire NATO."

"No election campaign can be considered an excuse to manipulate the security of the alliance."

The German Foreign Ministry posted the message "One for all and all for one" with the hashtag #StrongerTogether on its English X account after Trump’s remarks.

European Council President Charles Michel said: "Reckless statements about NATO security and Article 5 solidarity only serve the interest of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."

Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that any armed attack against one of the alliance’s members is considered an attack against them all, leading to collective self-defense.

Trump, who was speaking during a political rally in South Carolina and appears to be recounting a meeting with NATO leaders, quoted the leader of a "major country" whose name he did not mention as asking: "Well sir, if we don’t pay, and we will," "we were attacked by Russia, will you protect us?"

I said: Not paying? Are you behind on payments? He said: Yes, let’s suppose that happened. "No, I will not protect you. Actually, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want, you have to pay."

European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said in an interview with French TV channel LCI, "We’ve heard this before... nothing new under the sun."

Breton added: "He may have memory problems, it was actually a president, not of a country, but of the European Union," referring to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the conversation she had with Trump in 2020.

Breton said, "We cannot toss a coin on our security every four years depending on this election or that, specifically the US presidential elections," adding that EU leaders realize that the Union needs to strengthen its military spending and capabilities.

And when White House spokesperson Andrew Bates was asked about Trump’s remarks, he said: "Encouraging invasions by murderous regimes of our closest allies is horrifying and disturbing – and jeopardizes US national security, global stability, and our economy at home."

The thirty-one member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have agreed on a target to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense, but NATO estimates have shown that only 11 countries spend this amount.