Is Trump about to give NATO notice?

[Yapper73]

Just that really. Europe has pissed him off by not immediately getting involved in Iran. It feels like this may have been his agenda all along - leaving NATO? And what would that actually mean for Europe?

My understanding is he has to give a years notice and it has to be sanctioned by Congress but he’s not really one for following the rules, so who knows if he’d stick to those requirements.

The man terrifies me as I am in the Middle East so he’s been on my mind and affecting my life more than he should be.

It seems as if the first cracks are appearing in the Trump administration- Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center has resigned. He stated that it was clear the war started due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.

I really thought so too but Trumps already saying he wasn’t very good. There are reports of him being a leaker who Tulsi was told to fire and didn’t. They’re also saying he was not in any Iranian military meetings and he’s a known holicaust denier. So that’s what they’ll tell their base. Tulsi is going before the senate committee tomorrow so that’ll be an interesting watch.

I think NATO only exists in name, for a while now.
Trump will not move a finger to defend Europe; furthermore, he wants to take Greenland and Canada. He is likely to come back with the line "you did not send me any help with Hormuz...." if Europe needs any assistance to keep Putin within his borders.
But the rest of NATO countries will stay loyal to the Treaty. We will need to resign from NATO, a new name, writing up and signing, I suppose.
At least the giant wotsit does follow official protocol, which he will not, as you well say. I doubt he has the time to officially write to NATO saying goodbye.

He will just post it on Truth Social - thank you for your attention to this matter blah blah blah.

There must be some benefits of NATO for the US? Even if it’s ‘just’ the defence contracts and say in the region, those are not little benefits to them. What about the strategic element too?

I hope NATO in whatever form it takes has time to gear up to defend Europe against Putin.

Indeed, he will use Truth Social!

We shall be ok without the US, but we need to rush to ensure we are in control of the software we use and the weapons will not stop working just like that. I hear some sophisticated planes may suffer of that issue...

Probably.

He's an easily manipulated fool who doesnt give a shit about America or its future. So he'll sacrifice the USA because he wants to and he can.

Sure he's making plenty of money out of it.

Did you believe Kent in the past when he said that Trump won the 2020 election?

Not exactly a credible person after that.

Going back to the topic of this thread, the US donates much more money to NATO than any other country. I bet Trump would love to withdraw from it.

I hope he doesn’t… we need his money!

the US donates much more money to NATO than any other country

I guess you can think of it that way but it's not really of NATO being a club you pay into...it's more a case of each country funding their own military and them being a part of the NATO set up.

It is certainly true it has suited the US to have high defence spending, and that a lot of NATO nations (including the UK) have been real slackers in that regard.

...and yes, I think the reality is NATO almost defunct...

I think if they are not part of nato they will potentially loose access to their air bases in Europe? They can’t function effectively as a superpower/invasive dictatorship without those bases

Fair point.

I do think NATO benefits a lot from the US being part of the set up and that if they pulled out, countries like the UK would need to spend a lot more on defence.

That doesn't mean countries in NATO have to appease Trump, of course or feel obliged to get involved in wars just because Trump wants them to.

This is what happens when people vote for senile old farts to run countries.

I think (but not sure, open to correction) that at least some of those bases are the result of bi-lateral arrangements rather than simply down to being in NATO.

In any event even if US forces got kicked out of Europe they've got enough bases outside of the NATO area and also enough Carrier Strike Groups (?eleven) to still project a lot of power/force worldwide.

For example just one of their large aircraft carriers typically carries about as many fighter/strike attack aircraft, if not more, than many European air forces possess.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_strike_group

If he dumps NATO it is v worrying for Ukraine but it would be lonely for US. Who the heck are they going to work with in international issues - Israel???? There’s no one else , or maybe pal up with Putin -I can’t see his electorate accepting either. They know Europeans are saner than many world leaders. He’s annoyed the Sheikdoms, put tariffs on everyone.
Hell be forced to stick with it.
But didn’t they start a new alliance not long ago with Turkey and many other ?African countries -could he trust them to stick by him?

Exactly!
NATO is not there for US to invest on its military and protect useless Europe only, like Trump likes to claim. US gets many benefits from it too.
There is an increase on the arguments against said bases after what is happening in ME countries. I do not think US bases will be closed after this conflict, but it is weaking the US influence on the long term. Not that Trump sees it like that.

NATO is a defensive alliance, not an offensive one. Obviously Trump will have his own narrative on what NATO should be doing regardless.

I think what Ukraine showed us, and Iran has now confirmed, is that smaller military budgets can still be effective in asymmetric warfare. We have £3-5 million US missiles being used to take down £30k Iranian drones.

That isn't to say that the UK and other NATO allies don't need to seriously increase their defense spending, the absolutely do, but we need to be spending it wisely.

Trump is already rather pal pal with Putin. And fully immersed with Israel.
His base does not like the Putin vibes.
I do not think Trump will come out well out of this with his US voters.

@Legssses

I think what Ukraine showed us, and Iran has now confirmed, is that smaller military budgets can still be effective in asymmetric warfare. We have £3-5 million US missiles being used to take down £30k Iranian drones.
That isn't to say that the UK and other NATO allies don't need to seriously increase their defense spending, the absolutely do, but we need to be spending it wisely.

You're not wrong, but what needs to be recognised by those controlling the purse strings is that nowadays drones aren't the only problem so a mix of ordnance is needed...

Quite a lot of damage in the Gulf states, Israel, Ukraine, has and continues to be caused by incoming ballistic missiles so there continues to be a need for the high end expensive missiles.

I do agree - Defence spending has to go up and the money spent wisely.

I think the younger members of the IRGC are just as dangerous, if not more so, than the older ones. You may have a point with the politburo in Russia though, younger Russians seem a little less gung-ho for war.