Trump Questions NATO Defense Commitments Despite Historical Alliance Support

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump cast doubt on NATO's mutual defense commitments during remarks at the White House on March 6, 2025, questioning whether allies would defend the United States despite historical evidence of alliance solidarity [1].

The comments came just one day after Trump's NATO ambassador nominee Matt Whitaker assured senators of an "ironclad" commitment to Article 5, NATO's collective defense provision [1,2].

Key developments include:

- Trump suggested the U.S. might not defend NATO members who don't meet the 2% GDP defense spending target [1].

- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously announced the U.S. would not participate in Ukraine peacekeeping efforts or defend countries involved if attacked by Russia [1].

- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reported that 23 of 32 member nations now meet defense spending targets [3].

The president's statements contradict NATO's only historical invocation of Article 5, which occurred after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when alliance members, including France, joined operations in Afghanistan [1].

Trump also linked NATO commitments to trade disputes, stating: "Until I came along, we were paying close to 100% of NATO... and they're screwing us on trade" [1].

For context, NATO was established after World War II with 12 founding members and has expanded to 32 countries. The United States remains its most powerful member, with the largest economy and defense budget among alliance partners [3].