DONALD TRUMP said yesterday that he was open to pulling the United States out of the Nato military alliance.

The US president-elect also urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take steps to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine.

In a television interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mr Trump made it clear that Nato members had to up their spending within the alliance and stop relying on the US.

Mr Trump has long accused European and the Canadian governments in Nato of freeloading on US military spending.

He warned them that he did not see continued US participation in the Western military bloc as a given during his second term.

Mr Trump said the possibility of pulling out of Nato was an open question.

“If they’re paying their bills, and if I think they’re treating us fairly, the answer is absolutely I’d stay with Nato,” he said.

But if not, he was asked if he would consider pulling the US out of the alliance. Mr Trump responded, “Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.”

Mr Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine came after a weekend meeting French and Ukrainian leaders in Paris, where many world leaders gathered to celebrate the restoration of Notre Dame cathedral after a devastating fire. 

Mr Trump said it was clear from his discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kiev would like to close a deal.

He said: “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.”

“I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!” Mr Trump added. 

President Zelensky described his talks with Mr Trump as “constructive,” but gave no further details.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow has always been open to talks, but referenced a decree by Mr Zelensky from October 2022 that declared the prospect of any talks “impossible” as long as President Putin was Russia’s leader.