Former US President Donald Trump has threatened not to come to the aid of other NATO members in the event of an attack by Russia. A statement that undermines Article 5 of the Alliance’s founding treaty.
Are we facing a serious threat? Saturday January 10, 2024, as part of a meeting in South Carolina, Donald Trump threatened to no longer guarantee the protection of NATO against Russia, if he were to be re-elected in the American presidential election scheduled for November 5. An exit which has been heavily criticized and which raises questions regarding respect for the Atlantic Charter and the commitments specific to each Member State.
The former President of the United States reported, according to him, a “conversation” with one of the heads of state of NATO. “One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said: well, sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?” The Republican revealed his response: “No, I will not protect you. In fact, I will encourage them to do whatever they want to you. You must pay your debts.” Comments in line with his own vision according to which his NATO allies would not sufficiently finance their own defense. More serious this time, he goes so far as to encourage Moscow to attack them.
This declaration by the favorite for the Republican Party nomination created a real uproar and strong reactions. According to the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, this conversation was in reality an exchange with the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen on the subject of The Defense of the European Union, and dates from 2020.
On Sunday February 11, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke on the subject. For him, Trump’s recent statements “undermine our security”, “Any suggestion that Allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the United States, and exposes American and European soldiers at increased risk,” he said in a press release. The latter remains convinced that “the United States will remain a strong and committed ally within NATO, whoever wins the presidential election.”
In the process, the White House was quick to react. US President Joe Biden strongly condemned his predecessor’s remarks: “The fact that Donald Trump admits that he intends to give Putin the green light for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault on a free Ukraine and to extending its aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States is distressing and dangerous.”
Donald Trump, for his part, has regularly shown himself opposed to American aid to Ukraine, he even threatened to leave NATO if he returned to the top of the state. “Encouraging the invasion of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and insane,” concludes the White House.
With such a threat, Donald Trump breaks Article 5 of the Atlantic Charter on collective defense. The latter provides that if a NATO country is the victim of an armed attack, each member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack directed against all members and will take the measures it deems necessary. to come to the aid of the attacked country. “Reckless declarations on NATO security and the solidarity of Article 5 only serve Putin’s interests” warns Charles Michel, President of the European Council in the columns of La Tribune, Sunday February 11. Indeed, collective security is based on this article, the true cornerstone of the Alliance. Questioning it threatens the very essence of the Organization.
