President Donald Trump’s negotiations with Russia and comments from his cabinet have stirred European leaders.
President Donald Trump’s administration left European leaders reeling last week, prompting unattributed rumors that he was “considering” withdrawing the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the militaristic pact that has bound the U.S. and Europe since 1949.
Confirmed talks in Saudi Arabia between Russian and U.S. officials, alongside comments made by Vice President JD Vance to the Munich Security Conference, have stirred worries that the U.S. relationship with Europe may weaken as Washington pursues a more nationalist agenda.
The Saudi talks, which U.S. officials have confirmed Europe will not be a part of, have worried Euro leaders. Before being elected to a second term as president in 2024, Trump indicated a potentially frostier future with European powers, driven by a disparity across the alliance on military spending.
During his first term, Trump attacked allied NATO leaders for failing to meet their defense spending targets; allies agreed in 2014 to a guideline spending figure of 2 percent of their GDPs on militaries by 2024.
Now, with Russian talks on the way, unverified and sourceless rumors spread on social media that the president was planning to withdraw from NATO.
Political commentator Dominic Michael Tripi posted Sunday on X, formerly Twitter: “BREAKING: President Donald Trump is reportedly considering withdrawing the US from NATO.” Neither this nor similar posts by other commentators included references to verified information that supported this newest claim.What Has Trump Said About NATO?
At a rally in South Carolina in February 2024, Trump said he told NATO summit discussions that the U.S. would not protect NATO allies if they did not increase their defense spending.
“I said: ‘Everybody’s gotta pay.’ They said: ‘Well if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said: ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer”, Trump said.
NATO’s charter states if a NATO nation is invaded then all other members, including the U.S., are obligated to treat the invasion as if it were an attack on themselves.
Trump went on to suggest that he would “encourage” Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” if it attacked another NATO ally that hadn’t met spending commitments.
