United States President, Donald Trump, has cast doubt on whether Washington would come to the defense of NATO allies who fail to contribute enough to their defense, suggesting that the longstanding security arrangement should not be taken for granted.
“It’s common sense, right,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them.”
According to Reuters, the president said he has held this position for years and had raised it with NATO allies during his previous term from 2017 to 2021.
He credited his past efforts with prompting increased military spending among member states but insisted that “even now, it’s not enough.”
He added, “They should be paying more.”
Trump’s comments come amid growing concerns in Europe and beyond about the United States’ commitment to the 75-year-old transatlantic alliance.
NATO was founded in 1949 to counter potential Soviet aggression, and its core principle is mutual defense, meaning an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
His remarks are likely to cause unease among U.S. allies, especially as leaders in Europe have already been bracing for potential shifts in U.S. foreign policy.
Trump has previously clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and shown a willingness to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stoking fears of a reduced American role in European security.
Earlier on Thursday, European leaders moved to reinforce their defense commitments, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reassuring allies of the alliance’s strength.
“I know some may have concerns about NATO’s future,” Rutte said. “So let me be clear, the Transatlantic relationship and the Transatlantic partnership remain the bedrock of our Alliance.
President Trump has made clear the commitment of the U.S. and his commitment personally to NATO, and it has also made clear the expectation that we in Europe must do more in terms of defense spending.”
Despite this, Trump openly questioned whether certain NATO members would defend the United States in return, specifically pointing to France and unnamed others.
“You think they’re going to come and protect us? They’re supposed to,” Trump said. “I’m not so sure.”
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While he described NATO as “potentially good,” he argued that financial and trade issues needed to be addressed. “They’re screwing us on trade,” he said of the alliance.
Trump had reaffirmed U.S. commitments to NATO’s mutual defense clause as recently as last week, standing alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
However, his latest comments have drawn a strong reaction from European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who pointed to Europe’s past military contributions.
“Not only the French, but the Europeans were there when we were called for Afghanistan. And by the way, they weren’t politely warned when (the U.S. left Afghanistan),” Macron said. “We are loyal and faithful allies.”
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