Former US President Donald Trump sparked a backlash from the White House and top Western officials for implying that he would not defend NATO nations that did not spend enough on defense and might even invite Russia to attack them. Here are the answers to several key concerns concerning NATO, as well as Donald Trump’s comments – he is campaigning for re-election in November and leads President Joe Biden in some polls – and their ramifications.
What is Nato?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, founded in 1949 to confront the Soviet Union as Cold War tensions rose, is a political and military alliance of North American and European countries.
Article 5 of the founding treaty enshrines the notion of collective defense – the idea that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all of them.
NATO makes decisions by agreement, but the United States is by far the most powerful member of the alliance, with its nuclear arsenal viewed as the ultimate security guarantee.
Which countries belong to NATO?
NATO presently has 31 members, the majority of which are European states, as well as the United States and Canada.
Finland is the newest member, having joined last April in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sweden applied to join alongside Finland but is waiting for Hungary to confirm its application, which is the final major stage before membership.
During the Cold War, NATO’s primary mission was to safeguard Western Europe from the Soviet Union.
Following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, NATO expanded to include Central and Eastern European countries that were once part of the Communist bloc.
NATO members span from huge countries like the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Turkey to small states like Iceland and Montenegro.
What Did Donald Trump Say about NATO?
As president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, Donald Trump frequently chastised NATO and its members, including Germany, accusing them of failing to fund their defense and relying on Washington for protection. He publicly questioned the collective defense premise.
Other US administrations have accused Europeans of not spending enough on defense but in less inflammatory terms.
Trump escalated his attack at a campaign event in Conway, South Carolina when he recounted what he said was a conversation with the “president of a big country”.
“Well sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia – will you protect us?” Trump quoted the unnamed leader as saying.
“I said: ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said: ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay,” Trump said.
How is NATO funded?
Donald Trump has frequently accused other NATO members of failing to pay their dues, giving the appearance that the organization operates like a club with membership costs.
But NATO acts differently. It maintains some shared funds to which all members contribute. However, the vast majority of its power stems from members’ national defense budget – to sustain forces and purchase armaments that can also be deployed by NATO.
However, NATO countries have agreed to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense each year, and the majority of them failed to fulfill that target last year.
How many NATO members meet the defense spending target?
According to NATO forecasts from July of last year, 11 nations were projected to meet the 2% target in 2023. Those members were Poland, the United States, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Britain, and Slovakia.
Germany, Europe’s economic powerhouse, was assessed at 1.57%. However, German officials say they aim to meet the 2% target this year, thanks in part to a special 1-billion-euro fund set up in reaction to Russia’s assault in Ukraine.
According to NATO estimates, Spain, Belgium, and Luxembourg spent the least amount of their national GDP.
According to persons familiar with the statistics, NATO plans to disclose updated estimates in the coming days that show more nations meeting the 2% threshold.
What is NATO Article 5?
NATO members declared in Article 5 of the founding treaty that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America “shall be considered an attack against them all”.
They agreed they would “assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force”.
However, Article 5 does not guarantee an automatic military reaction to assist an ally under attack. That means the strength of Article 5 is dependent on unequivocal statements from political leaders that it will be followed by action.
This is one of the reasons Trump’s comments sparked such outrage, especially since they occurred at a time when NATO was particularly concerned about Russia’s intentions following its invasion of Ukraine.
By implying that he would not use military force to defend an ally, Donald Trump undercut the foundations that underpin Article 5.
“Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday.
