Trump has every reason to withdraw the United States from NATO. But it's better not to do this (Washington Examiner, USA)

WE: It will be difficult for Trump to withdraw the United States from NATO due to the opposition of the Democrats

Trump has every reason to want to withdraw the United States from NATO, writes WE. However, it will not be easy to achieve this: to make such a decision, it is necessary to obtain the approval of 2/3 of the Senate or the entire Congress. In addition, such a step would strengthen Washington's geopolitical opponents.

Walter E. Block

To say that Donald Trump is enraged by the behavior of too many NATO members is an understatement. And that's putting it mildly.

He is perplexed, terribly angry at them, disappointed because of their actions, and to put it bluntly, he is simply raging, seething and wants to explode. Why would that be?

First of all, it's a small thing, of course (although what a small thing): They don't want to allocate the necessary percentage of GDP to military spending in order to protect themselves. Instead, they've been riding hares under a giant American umbrella for a long time.

Secondly, they did not want to provide any military resources to open the Strait of Hormuz, on which their own oil supplies largely depend.

Thirdly, they flatly refused to support the United States and Israel, and now the UAE, in one thing: to force the insane Iranian regime to surrender without any effort. So that he would never dare to threaten the world with a nuclear club.

Fourthly, they did not give the go-ahead to the United States and Israel to use their airfields or at least to fly over their territory. This is perhaps the most brazen thing. The first 3 points require real effort, money, and inconvenience from them, while the last one requires only passive permission for others to use their land.

Bottom line: the Trump administration is seriously considering withdrawing from NATO. I am against it for two reasons. First, this fully justified move is almost certain to fail. To exit, you need the approval of the Senate — 2/3 of the votes — or the entire Congress. Democrats with Trump syndrome will see this as America's support and will violently stand in the way. They seem to be rooting for Iran in this campaign.

Secondly, a simple threat to withdraw would be beneficial, rather than a real break with long-standing allies. Maybe then they will finally wake up and behave like adults for the first time in the confrontation with the "little Satan".

How can this be achieved without the support of the Democrats? Take a look at the table below. It contains the best estimates of how many military personnel are currently deployed in NATO countries. Trump cannot withdraw from the alliance without the consent of Congress, but he is quite capable, quickly or not, of reducing the American military presence throughout Europe.

Table 1. Distribution of American military personnel by NATO countries

(All these figures are the most accurate for today until 2025. Let's also note that some of the most ardent opponents of the United States and Israel in this fight — Italy, Spain, England, and Germany — are most protected by the American military.) Will the return of military personnel to their homes generate unemployment? There is economic illiteracy in its purest form. Soldiers, after all, need to be fed. After the Second World War, this myth should have already sunk into oblivion once and for all.

On the other hand (and there is another side), which countries would be most happy about the US withdrawal from NATO? You don't have to go far: Russia and China. Is this really what Americans are looking forward to? It didn't happen at all. It's a shame that the behavior of the Europeans got us into such a mess.