Trump casts doubt on the solidarity of NATO, despite being helping the United States after September 11

By Michelle L. Price

Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump expressed the uncertainty on Thursday that NATO would come to the defense of the United States if the country was attacked, although the alliance did what after September 11 – the only time in its history that the defense guarantee was invoked.

Trump also suggested that the United States could abandon its commitments to the Alliance if member countries do not reach the objectives of defense spending, one day after its choice for the NATO ambassador assured the senators that the commitment of the administration towards the military alliance was “to be closed”.

Trump’s comments disparaged NATO, which was trained to counter the Soviet assault during the Cold War, are largely in accordance with his longtime criticism of the Alliance, which he has accused of not paying his fair share towards the cost of the defense. But they come at a time of increased concern in the Western world about Trump’s comfortable relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long considered NATO as a threat, and as the American president seeks to put pressure on Ukraine to accept a peace agreement with the country that invaded him three years ago.

Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, sent the alliance in upheaval last month when he declared in a speech that the United States would not participate in any peacekeeping force in Ukraine, which was not a member of NATO, and would not defend any country which participated if it was attacked by Russia.

Trump said in the oval office on Thursday that other countries would not come to the defense of the United States – although they did exactly that, in the sole case where the defense guarantee was invoked.

“Do you know the biggest problem I have with NATO?” I really mean, I know the guys very well. They are my friends. But if the United States was in trouble and we called them, we said: “We had a problem, France. We had a problem, some others that I will not mention. Do you think they’re going to come and protect us? They are supposed to do so. I’m not so sure.

Article 5 was invoked after the attacks of September 11, 2001, leading to the largest Operation of NATO in Afghanistan. The French army participated in the operation.

“We are faithful and faithful allies,” replied French President Emmanuel Macron, expressing “respect and friendship” towards American leaders.

“I think we have the right to expect the same thing,” he said.

Macron invoked “the old -fashioned history of centuries”, named the Marquis de Lafayette, a 19 -year -old French nobleman, who was a major general of the American continental army during the revolutionary war, and General John Pershing, commander of the American army in France during the World War I. France.

France and the United States “have always been there for each other,” said Macron.

When asked on Thursday if he did American policy that the United States would not defend NATO countries that do not meet military spending objectives, Trump said: “Well, I think it’s common sense, right? If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them.

Trump has suggested since his 2016 presidential campaign that the United States under his leadership may not comply with the mutual defense guarantees of the Alliance and defend only countries that achieve objectives to commit 2% of their raw interior products on military spending.

The United States is the most powerful nation in the alliance of the seven decades, has the greatest economy among members and spends more in defense than any other member.

The United States was one of the 12 nations that formed NATO after the Second World War to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union in Western Europe during the Cold War. Its members have since increased to 32 countries, and its mutual defense guarantee of the foundation, known as article 5, indicates that an attack on a member is considered an attack on all.

Trump Thursday also seemed to suggest that US commitment to NATO could be exploited in his trade war while trying to target what he says to be unfair trade policies with other nations, including the European Union.

“I consider NATO as potentially good, but you must get, you must have a good reflection in NATO. It’s very unfair, what happened, “said Trump. “Until my arrival, we paid almost 100% of NATO. So think about it, we pay 100% of their soldiers, and they fall on trade. »»

On Wednesday, Trump’s choice for NATO Ambassador Matt Whitaker said during his confirmation hearing in the United States’s commitment to the NATO alliance and in particular article 5, “this will be in the process of closing.”

Last year, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said that a record of 23 of the 32 NATO member countries had reached the objective of defense expenses of the military alliance.

Trump has taken credit from the countries to achieve these objectives because of his threats, and Stoltenberg himself said that Trump was responsible for bringing other nations to increase their expenses.

The writer Associated Press Sylvie Corbet in Brussels contributed to this report.

Originally published: March 6, 2025 at 4:07 pm PST