President Trump is considering a significant change to U.S. participation in NATO, according to three current and former senior U.S. officials and one congressional official.
Trump has discussed with aides the possibility of adjusting America’s NATO engagement to favor members that allocate a set percentage of their GDP to defense, the officials said.
As part of this potential shift, the U.S. might not come to the defense of a NATO ally under attack if the country fails to meet the defense spending threshold, the officials said. Such a move would mark a major departure from NATO’s Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Trump is also considering prioritizing military exercises with NATO countries that meet the spending benchmark, the officials said. His administration has already signaled that the U.S. could scale back its military presence in Europe, with one option under review involving repositioning troops to focus on or around nations that meet the defense spending requirement.
The potential shift in U.S. NATO policy comes as Trump urges European allies to take on a greater role in aiding Ukraine and in ensuring stability if a peace agreement is reached.
