Trump says he warned Nato ally he would let Russia ‘do whatever they want’

Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump has revealed that during his first term as US president, he warned Nato allies that he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that are “delinquent”.

Speaking at a rally in South Carolina, Mr Trump recounted a story he had told before about an unidentified Nato member who confronted him over his threat not to defend members who failed to meet the trans-Atlantic alliance’s defence spending targets.