The Guardian: 7 points to understand what is going on between Trump and NATO
Since returning to the White House early last year, US President Donald Trump has been threatening to withdraw from NATO, but he is closer than ever to activating that threat, as his country wages war on Iran and has little support from NATO members.
President Trump is on the verge of withdrawing the United States from NATO after years of questioning the effectiveness of the alliance and accusing its members of being beneficiaries and wasters, a sign of their limited military spending within the alliance’s structures.
The Guardian predicts that Washington’s withdrawal from NATO will represent a political earthquake for the Western security architecture that was established in the aftermath of World War II, endured the Cold War with the Soviet Union, before expanding after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989.
In an article about Trump’s ability to pull America out of NATO, as the alliance, founded in 1949 to provide a bulwark against Soviet communism, is now facing the most dangerous test of survival.
The article explanatorily addressed the dilemma of the alliance and the possible American withdrawal through a set of points:
1 Centralized principle once activated
Article 5 of the Alliance’s Charter states that any military attack on one of its members is considered an attack on all.
The only time this principle has been implemented was after the September 11, 2001, attacks, when NATO members sent troops to Afghanistan in support of the US-led military effort.
2 Why is Trump thinking about withdrawing?
President Trump has expressed anger over NATO’s refusal to support or assist America in the war on Iran.
The Guardian points out that NATO’s charter does not oblige its members to do so because America hasn’t been attacked, and NATO colleagues have not been consulted in advance.
Trump called NATO a paper tiger and said the decision to withdraw from the alliance had been decided.
3 Secrets of Trump’s Hostility to the Alliance
In 2017, Trump called the alliance obsolete and accused its members — especially Europeans — of looting the US for not spending adequately on their defense budgets.
In 2024, Trump threatened to encourage Russia to do whatever it wants with any European country that doesn’t meet its defense spending demands.
He was on the verge of clashing with NATO in January over his threat to annex the Danish island of Greenland.
4 Member Interaction
After his repeated criticism of the alliance, European leaders sought to appease Trump, and in June NATO members agreed to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.
5 NATO power
NATO has played a vital role in blocking Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which deters Russia from attacking actual NATO members such as Poland or the Baltic states.
6 America’s weight in the alliance
The United States provides NATO members with a nuclear umbrella because its nuclear arsenal is much larger than that of Britain and France.
In addition, America has many military bases and facilities throughout Europe, which is an essential deterrent against the alliance’s enemies.
7 Mechanisms of the American Withdrawal
The Guardian explains that the matter is legally complicated because US legislation prevents the president from withdrawing his country from NATO without a two-thirds majority in the Senate or a congressional act, but Trump has shown a willingness to ignore the country’s existing laws.
Ivo Dalder, a former US ambassador to NATO, said Trump could take hostile actions without a formal withdrawal, such as withdrawing all US troops from the command structure, while remaining nominally but without providing any actual military support.
