In recent comments, President Trump has indicated that during his second term, the U.S. may prioritize its own borders and the Indo-Pacific over NATO obligations. This signals a potential disregard for NATO’s collective defense, especially towards members not meeting financial commitments. Experts like Ivo Daalder stress that NATO's current reliance on U.S. military structure and leadership necessitates European members to bolster their own defense capabilities through financial investment, personnel, time, and cooperation. The questioning of U.S. commitment highlights NATO's vulnerability and the implications of shifting geopolitical priorities.
"The central problem is that NATO was built as an American-dominated alliance, intentionally dependent on American leadership, sophisticated weaponry, intelligence, and airlift."
"The United States is the linchpin of the alliance so we could control our allies and get them to do what we want," Mr. Daalder said.
"More practically, the United States military is the skeleton of NATO, and if you suddenly pull out the skeleton, the body dies."
"Mr. Trump suggested that the United States might not protect NATO members that he believed were not paying enough for their own defense, calling it common sense."
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