Europe must prepare for possible US withdrawal from NATO

European countries must prepare for a scenario in which former US President Donald Trump decides to withdraw the United States from NATO if elected in the fall of 2024, The Telegraph newspaper reported, citing a number of European diplomats.

In February, Trump said that a leader of an unspecified NATO member state asked him whether the US would protect NATO allies from a Russian attack if they do not meet their defense spending obligations. Trump responded that the US would not defend delinquent allies and would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want,” adding that NATO members have to pay more into the alliance. Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with the work of the alliance and threatened to withdraw the US from NATO if European partners do not bear greater financial responsibility for their own security.

One European diplomat told the newspaper that Trump’s comments about US membership in NATO were “of course” a “concern.”

“Nobody knows what he’s going to do next,” the diplomat was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Another diplomat from a NATO country said that Trump’s words only further highlighted Europe’s excessive dependence on the US. NATO member states should also discuss how to protect themselves in the event of the US leaving NATO, the diplomat added.

A third diplomat noted that uncertainty over US membership in NATO would make European countries “think in our own capitals more about the defense planning – is it adequate or not,” the newspaper reported.