Will Nato survive Donald Trump's reelection? Germany expresses concerns

 

Former President Donald Trump's stance on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) has worried officials in Germany about the survival of the military alliance that came into being in the wake of the Cold War. 

A report in the New York Times claimed that German officials are worried about what would happen if the US pulled itself out of the alliance after Donald Trump comes into the White House. 

The 77-year-old is running for president once again despite his legal troubles. 

He has been ahead of his Republican presidential contenders in securing the party’s nomination by recently winning the two primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire.

The former president while addressing his supporters in Nevada said last month that "we're paying for Nato, and we don’t get so much out of it."

Trump had said: "And you know – I hate to tell you this about Nato — if we ever needed their help, let's say we were attacked, I don’t believe they’d be there. I know the people."

The business mogul has repeatedly criticised the role of Nato in America’s favour terming it obsolete in 2017.

In an article published Saturday, the New York Times claimed that German officials are worried about Nato if Trump pulled the US.

The report also underlined the thinking in the US about pulling off rather than reinvigorating a renewed sense of commitment to the alliance in the wake of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.

"Their immediate concern is growing pessimism that the United States will continue to fund Ukraine’s struggle," the report underlined referring to the delayed Ukrainian military aid bill that has been in limbo in Congress.

In a New York Times report released in December, several officials from the EU and think tank representatives met with associates of Trump to inquire whether he was planning to pull the US out.

In the same month, former Trump Secretary of Defence Mark Esper told MSNBC that if reelected, the business mogul "would withdraw support for Ukraine."

"His next move would be to begin pulling us out of NATO, certainly troops out of Nato countries," the former secretary said.

Last week, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg told Politico that he is not worried about the US pulling out if the criminally-charged former president assumes responsibilities in the White House.

"I'm confident that the United States will remain a staunch ally no matter who wins," Stoltenberg said, adding that "I worked with former President Trump for the four years he was president."

The Nato head also underlined the division in the support for Nato in Congress.

Stoltenberg has said that Trump’s criticism wasn’t really aimed at the alliance, but at individual countries that have failed to live up to the 2014 pledge to spend 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024.

Nato Secretary General said: "It’s important to listen because the criticism is not a criticism of Nato but not investing enough in Nato ."

"Nato is a good deal for the United States," Stoltenberg has said.