Trump's team developed a list of 'disobedient' NATO allies - Politico
Kyiv • UNN
The White House has developed a ranking of NATO members based on their level of support for the US and defense spending. Countries face troop redeployments and restrictions on arms sales.
The White House has developed something akin to a "naughty and nice" list of NATO countries, as the Trump administration seeks ways to "punish" allies who refused to support the war with Iran, Politico reports, writes UNN.
Details
The plan, which officials worked on ahead of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's visit to Washington this month, includes a review of member countries' contributions to the alliance and their categorization into tiers, according to three European diplomats and a Pentagon official familiar with the plan.
This is the latest sign that US President Donald Trump plans to make good on his threats against allies who do not comply with his wishes, the publication writes. And it is another pressure point on an increasingly shaky alliance, which has suffered from Trump's attacks – from his aspirations to annex Greenland to warnings of a complete withdrawal from the pact, the publication notes.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth articulated this general idea in December. "Exemplary allies who step up, such as Israel, South Korea, Poland, increasingly Germany, the Baltic states, and others, will receive our special favor," he said. "Allies who still fail to contribute to collective defense will face consequences."
One diplomat said the list seemed to reflect this concept. "The White House has a 'naughty and nice' document, so I guess the logic is similar," the person said.
The administration is withholding any details while planning options, according to sources. And officials have provided little clarity on what the benefits or consequences might be.
"They don't seem to have very concrete ideas... when it comes to punishing bad allies," another European official said. "Moving troops is one option, but that mainly punishes the US, doesn't it?"
The White House has been clear about its frustration with allies. "While the United States has always stood by our so-called allies, the countries we defend with thousands of troops have not stood by us throughout Operation 'Epic Fury,'" White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. "President Trump has made his thoughts clear on this unfair dynamic, and as he has said, the United States will remember."
As the publication writes, there are few other alternatives to withdrawing American troops from Europe, so any potential plan would likely involve moving them from one country to another. Even then, relocation can be expensive and time-consuming.
It is unclear which countries belong to which category, and whether NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is aware of these efforts. "But the Romanians and Poles could be among the biggest beneficiaries, as both countries remain in the president's favor and would welcome more American troops. The Polish government, which is one of the highest spenders on defense among NATO member states, already pays almost all the costs of hosting 10,000 American troops stationed there. And the recently expanded Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Romania, which the country allowed the US to use for the air war in Iran, has room for more American troops," the publication states.
Hegseth initially used the "exemplary ally" rhetoric for NATO partners who increased defense spending in line with the alliance's 5% targets. Officials also referenced this in the US National Defense Strategy, published in January.
The US Department of Defense "will prioritize cooperation and engagement with exemplary allies who contribute to our collective defense," the Pentagon statement said. "In doing so, we will provide these allies with capabilities as they strengthen in defending our common interests, and also strengthen incentives for other allies to contribute."
According to two European officials familiar with the plan, this concept could give the US the option to withhold troop deployments, joint exercises, or military equipment sales from perceived "naughty" allies and transfer them to "good" ones. Hegseth also used the term "exemplary ally" in meetings with NATO members, according to a third diplomat.
And it will give Trump more tools to differentiate between members who supported US efforts regarding Iran, such as ending Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and allowing the use of bases, from those who did not.
While Spain and allies like the UK and France either rejected or delayed US requests for assistance, Romania and several smaller countries allowed the US to use their airbases. Bulgaria also quietly supported American logistics in the Middle East, the publication writes.
Spain had already had problems with the Trump administration for rejecting NATO's 5 percent defense spending target at the Hague summit last year. However, officials praised the Baltic countries, such as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland, for consistently ranking first in the bloc for military spending, the publication indicates.
"President Trump has rightly made it clear that he expects allies and partners to step up and help secure this vital waterway in the Middle East," Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby told NATO allies this month during a virtual meeting of defense ministers that Hegseth declined to attend.
But there are few precedents for such steps to punish allies, and such ideas are already facing resistance on Capitol Hill, the publication writes.
And some former officials doubt that the Trump administration has enough resources to overcome another existential crisis in the alliance, the publication notes.
"Trump and his team are busy trying to get out of the quagmire they created," said Joel Linnainmäki, a former Finnish official who worked on the country's NATO accession in 2023. "The administration probably doesn't have the resources to open another hostile front with Europe while the war is ongoing."