Trump Weighs NATO Exit; Raja Warns Move Would Be Illegal
WASHINGTON, DC– US President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of the United States stepping back from NATO during a meeting with Secretary General Mark Rutte, even as an Indian-American Congressman warned that any such move without congressional approval would be illegal and detrimental to national security.
The White House said Trump has been considering withdrawing from NATO, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt quoting the President as saying the alliance had fallen short.
The meeting came amid Trump’s growing frustration with European allies for not fully backing US military actions against Iran.
Rutte acknowledged the tensions but said most allies had supported Washington. “He is clearly disappointed… but the large majority of European nations has been helpful,” he told CNN after the meeting, describing the talks as “very frank, very open.”
He said European countries had provided “basing, logistics, overflights” and other support during the conflict, while conceding that not all allies met expectations. “Some of them yes,” he said when asked if certain NATO countries had failed.
The discussions also covered broader coordination, including efforts to secure shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic moves to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Amid these developments, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi wrote to Trump expressing “deep concern” over his remarks about leaving the alliance.
“Any unilateral US exit from NATO would be both strategically reckless and blatantly illegal under current law. Moreover, your rhetoric on this issue risks strengthening our adversaries at the expense of our own security,” he wrote.
Krishnamoorthi cited Trump’s recent comments that he was “absolutely” considering withdrawal, had expressed “disgust with NATO,” and suggested “we don’t need them,” while also flagging the President’s claim that “I don’t need Congress for that decision.”
He pointed to a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 that bars any president from exiting NATO unilaterally. Under the law, the President may not “suspend, terminate, denounce, or withdraw” from NATO without the consent of two-thirds of the Senate or an act of Congress.
“Congress has acted to ensure that dismantling one of the most consequential alliances in American history cannot be done by executive action alone, and doing so would be flagrantly illegal,” he wrote.
He warned that even raising doubts about US commitment could weaken the alliance’s deterrent power.
“Abandoning NATO would undermine US credibility with allies and partners worldwide, embolden adversaries such as Russia and China, weaken collective deterrence at a time of heightened global instability, and erode decades of bipartisan American leadership in building a stable international order,” he said.
Trump’s remarks have raised fresh concerns in Europe about US commitments to the alliance. The White House later said the meeting between Trump and Rutte had ended, with no formal announcement on any policy shift.
NATO, formed in 1949, remains the core of Western collective defense, with its mutual defense clause binding members to come to each other’s aid. (IANS)
