US President Donald Trump is considering a major overhaul of NATO to force its members to comply with his demands on defense spending. According to The Telegraph, citing sources, Trump is proposing to limit allies' decision-making rights and even deprive them of access to NATO's fifth article if countries do not increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
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Sources close to the president have said he is also considering withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany, an issue Trump considered immediately after returning to office last year.
“Our disappointment in our European allies is very real. Any country that does not pay 5% should not be allowed to vote on future NATO spending,” one of the sources told the publication.
Under the proposals, allies that fail to meet the new target could be excluded from decisions on alliance expansion, joint missions and the application of Article 5 on mutual defence. “You shouldn’t be able to vote on the allocation of funds if you don’t pay,” the source added to The Telegraph.
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Three NATO officials told the newspaper that US envoys had not formally presented the plans at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, but one source confirmed that US officials had pushed for a “pay-to-participate” model in several discussion forums.
Currently, all NATO member states spend at least 2% of GDP on defense, a goal set by Trump back in 2014. The alliance's Secretary General, Mark Rutte, stressed that leaders will have to present plans to reach the new target of 5% of GDP at a summit in Ankara later this year.
Recall that the other day, US President Donald Trump, angered by the refusal of most NATO countries to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, stated that America was protecting its partners, but “they do nothing for us, especially when there is a need.”
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