RIGA - US President Donald Trump alone cannot push through a policy initiative on the US withdrawal from NATO, Sandis Sraders, a researcher at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LAI) and board member of the Latvian Transatlantic Organization (LATO), told LETA.
The Latvian think-tanker stressed that even during his first presidency, Trump threatened a US withdrawal from NATO, because he has a very pragmatic view of the collective security organization. In the expert's assessment, Trump's statements have had a positive impact on NATO, although former US presidents such as George W. Bush and Barack Obama have also stressed in the past that the US provides security in Europe, as the US spends considerable resources on its defense, military industry, procurement and military capability building, much more than European countries. Sraders mentioned that before Trump's previous presidency, Europe provided 30 percent of NATO's military capabilities, while the US provided 70 percent.
The LATO board member underlined that Trump's statements have changed Europe's attitude towards its defence, most of them are starting to comply with the requirement to spend at least 2 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense, some countries are spending even more on defense. In his view, Trump's policies and rhetoric are benefiting countries that have always been responsible for collective security, such as the countries of NATO's eastern flank, which spend more than 2 percent of their GDP on defense.
"NATO's eastern flank countries provide protection from Russia and various threats to countries in western Europe. They form a wall between an aggressor Russia and the West, as well as Southern Europe, which does not see Russia as an aggressor and does not have public support to increase defense spending and build up military capabilities," Sraders said.
He stressed that the list of threats, challenges is growing, Trump will definitely need allies. The expert does not think that the US presidential advisers, the State Department, the Defense Department, nor the Security Adviser will ever advise Trump to withdraw from NATO.
"In such a situation, there would be a completely different turn of events, for example, if Trump were to come out with such statements and ideas, then in fact the President's administration, the Republican Party, Trump's closest security and foreign policy advisers would come out with the opposite view," the LAI researcher said.
He stressed that the US President alone cannot push through such policy initiatives that are in clear contradiction with US interests. Sraders also stressed that such major decisions are debated and adopted in the US Congress and the US Congress has the power to limit the powers of the President.
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