Donald Trump, a longtime critic of NATO, seems hell-bent on withdrawing the US from the organisation, a move that officials fear would amount to a potential death knell
NATO is a “pretty damn strong” organisation that could survive without the US, an expert has said, as it faces an existential challenge from Donald Trump.
President Trump, a lifelong critic of the pact, said this week that his country’s role in NATO was “beyond reconsideration” following his repeated complaints about allied countries not joining his and Israel’s assault on Iran. While misunderstanding its stated defensive role, he called the pact a “paper tiger”, stating “it should be automatic” that the allies join his assault, despite having not consulted or informed them prior to its launch nearly a month ago.
But even if he should follow through with the costly move to extract the US from the organisation, it has the moral and technological advancement to stand without the “American nanny”.
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Speaking to the Mirror, Professor Anthony Glees, a world-renowned expert in security and European affairs, said the European allies should “stop whingeing” about needing US support. He insisted that NATO can stand on two “pretty damn strong” feet, thanks to the UK and Fance’s nuclear capabilities, and the rest of the continent’s potential “to raise massive armies”.
He said: “We should stop whingeing about how much we need the USA and start standing on our own two feet. Those feet are pretty damn strong: two of us, the UK and France, have a vast nuclear arsenal, ours delivered via our Trident-armed Vanguard submarine fleet, France’s via its airborne Force de Frappe.
“We have amazing air forces, all of us and the potential to raise massive armies, the German army alone could quickly number one million soldiers.”
“We could conscript our people in some acceptable way equally soon. We have world beating technology and we have moral strength too. We don’t need an American nanny, we need to grow up. And because we need to, we will.” The prospect of the US leaving NATO is a real one, at least in Trump’s eyes.
He has mocked the alliance, even before becoming president in 2017, stating it was “obselete” – despite being critical in building peace in Europe and beyond – and a “paper tiger” he claimed was “costing a fortune” for the US.
But he can’t easily do so, as legislation passed in 2024 prevents a serving US president from withdrawing from NATO without a two-thirds majority of support in the Senate. A second route, an act of Congress, is also unlikely to succeed given the currently wafer-thin Republican majority in the lower chamber.
Trump has however shown that he is more than willing to flout congressional requirements, given that he launched his attack on Iran without its approval last month.
