Republican Senator James David Vance has assured European allies that even if Donald Trump were to return to the presidency, they could still count on US support.

Meanwhile, the senator noted that the message from Trump and his fellow right-wing Republicans is that "Europe has to be a little bit more self-sufficient" in ensuring the defence of the continent. 

He said that if Europe truly believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is an "existential threat", economic leaders like Germany "have to step up," Vance said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference the day before, as reported by dpa.

During a rally in South Carolina, Trump recalled how, during his presidency, he threatened to "encourage Russia" to attack NATO members who failed to meet their financial obligations to the Alliance.

His words caused quite a stir among the Alliance allies.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg asked Trump to stop undermining the bloc’s crucial deterrence system.