‘Absolutely’: Trump won’t say no to removing the United States from NATO
Trump has never been fond of NATO and has continually threatened to pull the U.S. out of its ranks. Now he’s returning to office, the threats are back. With more Republican loyalists by his side this could become a reality, but what does that mean?
In his first official interview since the 2024 Presidential election, Trump doubled down on many of his campaign points. Along with discussing imposing trade tariffs and mass deportation, Trump also talked about walking away from NATO. NATO, an alliance of countries from Europe and North America, was designed to promote the security and defense of its members. The United States is one such member, and as the biggest military power on the planet, it is NATO’s strongest pillar.
If Trump no longer sees the worth of keeping the U.S. involved, that pillar could crumble. The soon-to-be President sat down with NBC News’s Kristen Welker in his first interview since the election and said, “If they pay their bills and if I think they treat us fairly, the answer is absolute that I would stay in NATO.” He went on to add that there is “absolutely” a chance of him pulling the United States out of the alliance.
What would NATO look like without the U.S?
Theoretically, NATO could survive without the U.S., but it would be a heavy loss. As the most powerful military in the world, the U.S.’s presence in NATO is the biggest deterrent to those who would threaten it. The ramifications of losing the U.S. could be huge, especially with the strides Russia is already taking into Ukraine. In an article written in The Financial Times, a rather daunting vision of the future of NATO without the U.S. is imagined.
In this future, Russia and China have banded together to form a “historic partnership,” one in which they bolster each other’s claims to territories they currently have their eyes on, such as the South China Sea and the Arctic. Then, Russia pushes into the Nordic region, forcing NATO to mobilize its forces. But they aren’t enough. The powers in Europe who control the continent’s nuclear weapons have a terrifying decision to make. Of course, this is hypothetical. But not impossible.
Despite the frosty relations between the U.S. and Russia that never fully thawed out after the Cold War, Trump has had a somewhat friendly relationship with Vladimir Putin. He has shown admiration for the leader and his vice-like grip on power, something Trump has hinted at aspiring to himself. Already, Trump has discussed withdrawing aid to Ukraine, which has been holding back invading Russian forces since 2022.
In the interview, he brought up that Europe has been paying less to support Ukraine than the U.S., saying, “We’re in for $350 billion, and Europe is in for $100 billion. Why isn’t Europe in for the same as us?” These figures appear to be inflated, as according to The Guardian, Europe has provided $46 billion in military aid and the U.S. $67 billion. If Trump withdraws this support, Europe may have to double its own. Trump boasted on the campaign trail that he could end the war “in 24 hours” if needed. He has since called for an immediate ceasefire and held meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which Zelenskyy described as “constructive.”
Trump’s statements in the NBC interview regarding NATO have alarmed many. Countries around the world are preparing themselves for the ramifications of such a move, with contingencies being drawn just in case. The U.S. leaving NATO would mark a new, rocky chapter in the geopolitical landscape, one many of us are not prepared for.
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